35 

1197 
B35 


UC-NRLF 


SB    2fl3 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


TYKE; 


THE    HISTORY  OF 


PHOENICIA,   PALESTINE 


SYRIA, 

to 


.VXD    THE    FINAL 


&  CAPTIVITY    OF   ISRAEL   AND  JITDAH, 


R.  B.  BEMENT, 

AUTHOR   OP    SEVERAL   WOSK3   UPON   ANCIENT    HISTORY,    PROPHESY,    &C, 


ALTO^ST,  ILLINOIS  : 

•ED    BY   PARKS  &  ENNIS,  AT   THE    TELEGRAPH    JOB    OFFICE. 

i  s  G  s  .  •: 


^^ 


TYSE; 


PHCENICIA,  PALESTINE 

1 

SYRIA, 


AND  TZS  SIHAL 


CAPTIVITY   OF  ISRAEL  AND   JUDAH, 


BY  R.-  B.  BEMENT, 

4.TJTBOB  OF  SEVERAL  WORKS  UPON   ANCIENT   HISTORY,   PBOPHBST,  *0, 


ALTOJST,  ILLINOIS: 

FBINTED  BY   PASKS  &  ENJNIS,  TELEGRAPH  BOOK  AND  JOB  OFFICE. 

1358. 


PREFACE. 


THIS  work  is  one  of  a  series  of  small  works,  upon  the  history  of 
all  the . nations  referred  to  in  the  Sacred  Scripture. 

Having  visited  the  places  described,  for  the  purpose  of  qualify- 
ing myself  for  Public  Lecturing,  I  have  devoted  most  of  my  timo 
to  that  employment,  and  could  only  devote  the  leisure  moments  to 
writing.  Knowing  that  the  country,  and  not  the  author,  was  the 
subject  of  interest  to  the  reader,  I  have  said  but  little  of  myself— 
my  feelings,  or  the  incidents  by  the  way — except  when  the  same 
would  illustrate  the  subject  of  the  history  or  the  Bible.  I  have 
aimed  at  accuracy,  but,  in  some  instances,  writing  from  memory, 
may  have  erred  a  trifle  in  figures  and  measurement.  With  what- 
ever of  good  or  ill  it  may  possess,  I  trust  it  will  be  useful  to  the 
reader;  while  it  affords  me  time  to  prepare  a  larger  and  more 
thorough  work  upon  the  history  of  those  lands,  so  intimately 
blended  with  the  teachings  of  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

K.  B.  BEMENT. 


INVOCATION    ^O    CHEONOS. 


Aged  Father,,  author  of  ril*fc$$&trial  things, 

Lay  by  thy  Scythe  and  fcl'd'thjjr  weary  wings ; 

To  me  relate  the  scenes  that  tfaou  hast  viewed  in  youth 

Of  man'a  past  history,  relive  the  simple  truth. 

When  from  the  Ark  the  nations  spread  abroad, 

And  some  retained,  and  .some  forsook,  the  worship  of  their  God, 

Who  peopled  this,  and  who  that  part  of  the  laud? 

Who,  hating  toil,  continued  iong^a  roving  band? 

:  Why  reared  they  oft  such  stupendous  piles,         -, 
On  Indus',  or  Euphrates'  ba;nksor  Moero's  Isles? 
Why  Pyramids  erected  and  Celestial  observations  took,. 
And  in  their  chambers  reduced  the  heavens  to  book? 

What  wars,  rapines,  and  bloody  scenes  of  strife, 
Where  rival  interest  clashed,  or-angry  fueds  were  rift, 
What  Law,  what  error,  around  them  did  entwine; 
Why  did  their  customs  crush-fche  human  race  divine? 

Thou  answerest  well,  the  truthidoth  on  me  shine? 
With  one  consent  for  their  own,  they  left  the  law  divitsj 
'Tis  truth  from  God,  conducts  as  to  the  light, 
He  who  regards  it  not  must  roam  in  eidtess  nighfc. 

With  cheerful  hope,  then  to'iny  task  I  go; 
Not  for  reward,  nor  honors  here  belowj 
But  trust,  that  as  toothers  I  the  truth  impart, 
God's  truth  will  bless,  and  cheer  iny  weary  heart 


EARLY     HISTORY 

OF   THE  DIFFERENT   RACES  OF  HEN,  WHO  HAVE   DWELT   IN   PALESTINE. 


While  Sidon,  a  grand  son  of  Ham,  was  building  the  kingdom  of 
Sidonia,  subsequently  called  Phoenicia,  the  other  descendants  of 
Canaan,  migrated  lurther  southward  and  spread  over  the  country 
called  Palestine. 

;When  Abraham  entered  that  land  the  Canaanites  were  few  in 
number,  and  the  country  but  thinly  settled.  He  dwelt  at  Hebron; 
formed  an  alliance  with  some  of  the  natives;  rose  to  be  a  king, 
and  abounded  in  wealth,  in  servants,  cattle  and  munitions  of  war; 
but  after  his  death,  we  do  not  find  that  Isaac  retained  the  kingdom, 
or  was  pre-eminently  rich. 

The  Philistines,  who  dwelt  upon  the  south-west  border  of  Israel, 
were  a  distinct  race  of  people  from  that  of  the  Canaanites.  They 
originated  from  the  shepherd  stock,  on  the  plains  of  the  far  east, 
near  India.  Their  religion  was  that  of  the  east  of  Assyria.  They 
were  ultimately  exterminated  by  the  descendants  of  Jacob.  About 
„  eighteen  hundred  years  before  Christ,  the  descendants  of  Abraham 
were  scattered  abroad.  Ishmael  migrated  to  Arabia  Petra.  Esau 
following  him,  married  his  daughter,  and  became  merged  in  the 
same  stock,  called  Edomites.  Abraham's  six  sons  by  his  second 
marriage,  removed  to  the  far  East.  Some  writers  suppose  they 
went  to  India,  and  were  the  ancestors  of  the  Bramans;  but  it  is 
much  more  probable  that  the  east  to  which  they  went,  was  on  the 
borders  of  the  Gulf  of  Ormus,  and  the  Persian  Gulf  in  the  eastern 
part  of  modern  Arabia,  and  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  kingdom 
of  Muscat  are  their  descendants. 

Jacob  and  his  children  retired  into  Egypt  for  nearly  four  hun- 
dred years.  During  that  period  the  Canaanites  largely  increased 
in  numbers — had  made  great  progress  in  the  knowledge  of  agricul- 
ture and  the  arts,  and  had  built  many  cities.  They  had  formed  a 
number  of  loosely  confederated  States,  called  the  tribes  of  Canaan- 
ites, among  which  were  the  Amorites,  descendants  of  the  special 
friends  of  Abraham,  the  Jebuzites,  who  dwelt  at  the  hill,  subsequent- 
ly called  Jerusalem,  the  Hivite  and  Hitites,  the  Gibebnites  and 
Girgashites,  It  is  at  this  day  impossible  to  define,  with  accuracy 
the  locality  of  all  these  tribes, 


The  Girgashites  dwelt  on  the  east  of  the  Jordon  and  the  Galilee. 
The  splendid  ruins  of  Girash,  in  Syria,  are  supposed  to  occupy  the 
site  of  one  of  their  ancient  cities. 

EARLY   HISTORY   OP   CANAAN. 

About  1450  years  B.  C.  Joshua  and  the  Israelites  crossed  the  Jor- 
dan, and  began  the  couquest  of  the  land  of  Canaan.  While  engaged  in 
the  work  of  extermination  and  division  of  the  land,  which  occupied 
about  four  hundred  years,  they  were  ruled  by  Judges.  Their  form 
of  government  vibrated  between  anarchy,  mobocracy,  democracy 
and  military  despotism. 

They  were  manifestly  an  ignorant  people,  conducting  agricultural 
pursuits  in  a  very  rude  manner,  and  almost  entirely  unacquainted 
with  arts,  manufactures  and  commerce,  until  the  time  of  Solomon. 

The  most  important  cities  of  Israel  and  Judah,  with  their  history 
and  present  condition,  are  described  in  a  separate  article. 

The  Phoenicians  had  fallen  into  Idolatry.  Their  principal  deity 
was  called  by  themselves  Malcarth;  by  the  Greeks,  Hurculese;  but 
by  the  Israelites  and  Syrians,  Baal.  Who  and  what  was  the  Tyrian 
God?  Idolatry  seldom,  if  ever,  springs  up  at  once  in  all  its  deform- 
ity. It  begins  with  the  adoration  of  some  departed  hero,  some  hu- 
man passion,  or  some  lofty  thought.  The  idea  embodied  in  an 
image,  is  the  symbol  of  thought.  Ultimately  the  idea  degenerates 
with  the  multitude  into  blind,  stupid,  unmeaning  worshipof  the  idol. 
The  Phoenicians  were  engaged  in  manufactures  and  commerce. 
The  spirit  of  these  enterprises  had  made  them  weal'thy,  intelligent 
and  brave.  This  was  their  Deity.  Baal  was  the  spirit  of  com- 
mercial enterprise.  Hurculese  had  wrought  many  wonders  and 
labors.  This  was  the  mythology  of  successful  Phoenician  adventure. 
To  this  God  they  erected  altars,  and  offered  incense  in  groves,  on 
hills  and  in  sacred  places;  but  until  the  time  of  Solomon  and  Hiram 
they  had  no  temples. 

Israel  also  worshiped  in  tabernacles,  and  in  a  building  erected 
over  the  same  at  Nob,  called  the  house  of  the  Lord.  It  was  this 
house,  not  the  temple  at  Jerusalem,  for  whose  destruction  Isaiah 
mourned.  Isaiah,  LXV:  11. 

The  arrangement  between  Solomon  and  Hiram  to  build  the  tem- 
ple at  Jerusalem  was  indeed  a  pious  one.  It  was  in  accordance 
with  the  Divine  command,  to  build  a  house  unto  the  Lord.  But 


[7] 

kXV>XX/-N^X/1 

in  addition  to  this,  there  Was  another  motive.    Solomon  was  a  good 
man,  and  inspired,  but  not  pre-eminently  good. 

His  peculiarity  was  that  ha  was  a  wise  man.    The  only  true 
method  of  studying  the  character  of  Solomon,  is  in  the  light  o: 
statesman  and  political  economist. 

When  the  Lord  asked  him  to  choose  what  he  would  have,  he  did 
not  select  pre-eminent  goodness,  but  he  stated  in  substance  that  as 
he  was  king  over  the  people,  he  desired  to  know  how  as  a  statesman 
he  could  best  advance  their  interest.     Here  was  his  true  character 
and  the  proper  place  to  study  political  economy  is  at  the 
Solomon,  whose  political  principles  were  from  heaven, 
that  in  a  narrow  mountain  district,  his  people,  though  they  ffiigh 
possibly  maintain  existence,  could  not  by  agriculture  alone  become 
wealthy  and  powerful.     His  neighbors,  the  Phoenicians,  on  a  na 
rower  strip  of  land,  had  become  rich  and  prosperous,  by  manufac- 
tures and  commerce. 

Israel  must  be  initiated  into  all  these  departments  of  enterprise. 
But  as  yet  his  people  possessed   not  the  requisite  knowledge  and 
Skill      Solomon's  men  and  Hiram's   men  are  now   seen  working 
together  on  Mount  Lebanon,  hewing  timber  and  removing  it  t 
Tyre     Israel  was  thus  learning  the  art  of  working  in  wood,  i 
farming  and  building;  they  also  quarried  stone  together.     Israel 
became  entered  apprentice  masons  to  the  Sidonians. 

Next  they  unitedly  build  floats  at  the  port  of  Tyre,  and  convey 
the  material  to  Joppa.  Israel  is  being  taught  navigation,  and  the 
art  of  ship  building.  Thus  was  the  spirit  of  commerce  infused 
into  Israel. 

We  soon  after  see  them  engaged  in  foreign  enterprise.  "And 
kin g  Solomon  made  a  navy  of  ships  in  Eziongeber,  which  is  beside 
Eloth  on  the  shore  of  the  Eed  Sea,  in  the  land  of  Edom.  And 
Hiram  sent  in  the  navy  his  servants  ship-men,  that  had  knowledge 
Of  the  sea,  with  the  servants  of  Solomon."  1  Kings  ix:  26,  27. 

Of  the  structure  of  Solomon's  temple,  nothing  definite  is  now 
known,  except  what  is  recorded  in  the  Sacred  Scriptures.  Solomon 
was  a  courteous  gentleman,  and  disposed  to  return  favor  for  favor. 
Having  finished  the  holy  temple  and  his  own  house,  he  assisted 
Hiram  of  Tyre,  to  build  a  temple  on  the  Island,  in  front  of  that 
city,  for  the  worship  of  the  Tyrian  God  of  commerce.  He  also 
married  the  daughter  of  Hiram. 


[8] 


In  company  with  Phoenicians  he  desired  to  extend  and  protect 
the  caravan  trade  to  the  Euphrates  and  the  Indus,  if  not  to  China. 
This  inland  commerce  embraced  then  just  what  we  now  call  the 
British  East  India  trade,  a  trade  that  has  made  every  nation  rich 
that  controlled  it.  But  from  Phoenicia  and  Israel,  the  caravans 
must  pass  through  the  Territory  of  the  Syrians,  whose  capital  was 
Damascus.  It  became  therefore  necessary  to  interest  that  people 
in  these  enterprises.  One  of  their  States  lay  between  Lebanon  and 
Ante-Lebanon,  then  called  Hamoth,  but  subsequently  Coebosyria. 
To  facilitate  and  protect  that,  through  that  district  the  temple  and 
city  of  Baalbec  were  erected,  of  which  a  description  is  given  on 
another  page.  Under  the  protection  of  this  Baal  of  commerce,  the 
caravans  passed  through  the  mountain  district,  and  found  their 
way  to  the  plains  of  Damascus. 

Here  they  were  met  by  the  great  Tyrian  Desert,  which  they 
must  cross.  In  the  center  of  that  Desert  was  a  fountain  of  water, 
around  which  stood  some  stately  palms.  Here  Solomon  and  his 
confederates  built  the  city  of  Tadmore  or  Palmyra,  here  the  cara- 
vans could  find  shelter,  refreshment  and  repose,  "For  Solomon  built 
Baalath  and  Tadmore  in  the  wilderness."  1  Kings,  ix:  18. 

Commerce  next  to  the  direct  preaching  of  the  gospel,  is,  and  ever 
has  been,  the  great  power  to  sheath  the  sword  and  prevent  war, 
and  promote  the  peace,  happiness  and  prosperty,  of  all  parties  in- 
terested therein.  The  exchange  of  nations,  is  the  wealth  and 
prosperity  of  nations.  It  may  need  regulating,  but  its  moral 
power  can  not  well  be  dispensed  with.  When  a  nation  manufac- 
tures and  produces  all  it  needs,  and  has  no  exchange  with  others, 
it  must  of  necessity  deteriorate,  become  foolish,  conceited,  stagnant 
and  ripe,  to  be  destroyed. 

Their  isolation  is  the  provocative  cause  of  war,  while  exchange 
promotes  mutual  interest  and  mutual  good  will.  Solomon,  by 
Divine  wisdom  saw  all  this,  and  profited  by  it.  What  were  the 
results?  First  peace  with  all  nations.  The  name  of  Solomon  signifies 
peace,  and  in  his  reign  there  was  no  war. 

Not  only  the  three  confederates,  Israel,  Phoenicia  and  Syria,  but 
all  the  wide  world,  were  lulled  into  profound  tranquility.  The 
second  result  was  prosperity.  Wealth  as  a  consequence  of  exchange, 
poured  into  the  lap  of  all  these  nations,  for  Solomon  made  gold  and 
silver  abound  in  Jerusalem,  like  the  stones  of  the  streets.  Phoenicia 
was  not  less  prosperous,  and  Damascus  grew  in  treasure.  Had  not 


Solomon  given  an  apparent  sanction  to  idolatry,  his  temple  build- 
ing for  the  benefit  of  commerce  might  not  have  been  censurable. 
In  the  temple  erected  by  Solomon,  in  Jerusalem,  we  are  told  he 
caused  to  be  wrought  upon  the  pillars,  Lilys,  Pomegranates  and 
Net-work. 


From  Egypt,  Palestine  may  be  visited  by  three  different  routes. 
The  first,  and  by  far  the  most  fatiguing  and  most  dangerous,  with 
Borne  interesting  advantage,  is  the  one  traversed  by  the  Israelites 
under  Moses,  by  the  Eed  Sea,  Mount  Sinai,  and  Petra.  By  this 
route  we  can  enter  Canaan,  by  way  of  Hebron,  or,  going  further 
east,  come  in  by  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jordan. 

The  second  route  is  by  the  short  Desert  of  Suez,  called  in  Scrip- 
ture Shur.  This  is  the  route  traveled  unnumbered  times  by  hostile 
armies,  invading  or  retreating  from  Egypt. 

This  leads  us  past  the  ruins  of  Eaphia,  famous  for  the  great  bat- 
tle between  Ptolemy  and  Antiochus  the  great,  which  occurred 
about  217  B.  C.  From  the  ruins  of  Eaphia  we  enter  Palestine,  at 
Gaza,  in  the  south-west.  The  third  is  the  quickest,  and  by  far  the 
least  fatiguing  route. 

We  can  take  a  steamer  at  Alexandria,  cross  the  great  sea  diagon- 
ally, and  land  at  Beyroot,  in  Syria,  and  thus  enter  Palestine  from 
the  north. 

This  being  the  route  of  our  travel,  the  scenery  and  history  will 
be  described  somewhat  in  the  order  of  succession  from  this  point. 

Beyroot  is  now  the  most  important  sea-port  on  the  eastern  side 
of  the  Mediterranean,  as  Smyrna  is  on  the  north-east.  It  is  a  town 
of  perhaps  twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants;  Syrians,  Druzes, 
Arabs,  Christians,  and  Jews.  It  is  the  head-quarters  of  the  Syrian 
Mission.  It  is  doing  a  thriving  business  in  Syrian  commerce,  and 
has  absorbed  almost  entirely  the  trade  that  once  flourished  at  Tyre, 
Sidon,  Cesarea,  and  other  ports.  The  harbor  at  Beyroot  is  toler- 
ably good,  and  the  city  presents  a  fine  appearance  from  the  sea. 
Her  police  regulations  are,  in  some  respects,  needlessly  vexatious. 
Although  every  human  being  on  board  the  steamer  La  Bey  was  in 
good  health,  there  was  a  legal  presumption,  that  as  she  had  come 
from  a  port  in  Egypt,  her  passengers  might  have  the  plague. 

On  this  account  a  strict,  and  in  most  cases  a  useless,  quarantine 
2— 


[10] 


is  maintained.  All  must  go  in  a  place  of  close  confinement,  not  so 
comfortable  as  the  cells  in  the  prison-houses  of  this  country.  Forty- 
eight  hours  we  were  required  to  remain  here  upon  a  p'allet  of  straw; 
our  food  being  passed  to  us  through  a  grated  door.  At  the  close  of 
this  penance  we  were  required  to  pay  the  rent  of  our  involuntary 
place  of  abode,  with  enormous  charges  for  every  item  of  comfort 
we  were  permitted  to  enjoy,  and  a  fee  to  the  physician  for  not  being 
sick.  There  may  be  seasons  when  these  sanitary  measures  are 
needful,  but  ordinarily  they  are  enforced  for  no  other  purpose 
than  to  favor  a  few  officials  who  subsist  upon  what  they  can  extort 
from  travelers,  and  the  government  winks  at  this  extortion. 

The  following  description  of  Beyroot  and  its  environs,  is  taken 
from  a  missionary  paper : 

As  you  approach  Beyroot  in  the  steamer  from  the  west,  the 
mountain  range  stretching  far  to  the  north  and  south,  presents  the 
appearance  only  of  immense,  rugged  masses  of  naked,  whitish 
rock,  severed  by  deep,  wild  ravines,  and  running  precipitously  into 
the  very  sea.  It  is  this  whitish  appearance  which  gives  to  it  its 
name  of  Lebanon,  which  signifies,  in  the  Hebrew,  the  White  Motfn- 
tain.  Nor,  when  you  have  landed,  do  you  perceive,  except  in  the 
confined  plain  of  Beyroot,  any  more  signs  of  cultivation  or  of  in- 
habitants; the  steep,  bare,  rocky  rampart,  rises  up  before  you  as 
far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  gaining  a  frequent  elevation  of  ten  thou- 
sand feet,  and  sometimes  piercing  into  the  region  of  eternal  snows. 
When  you  start  for  the  summit,  however,  you  find,  to  your  delight, 
that  it  is  not  an  uninterrupted  ascent  that  you  are  obliged  to  make, 
but  you  are  meeting  with  a  constant  succession  of  valleys,  higher 
and  still  higher  up,  and  mostly  running  parallel  with  the  coast. 
These  valleys  teem  with  villages;  for  in  the  east  people  do  not  live 
in  scattered  houses,  but  ten,  twenty,  or  more  families  cluster  to- 
gether and  form  a  village  or  town.  By  means  of  terraces,  con- 
structed with  great  labor  and  covered  with  soil,  almost  every  avail- 
able foot  of  land  is  brought  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  The 
numerous  population,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  is  hardy,  industri- 
ous and  brave.  As  this  cultivation  is  carried  on  almost  to  the  very 
summit  of  the  mountain,  a  great  variety  of  productions,  as  well  as 
of  climate,  is  found  within  the  narrow  range  of  thirty  miles  from 
the  coast.  Figs,  grapes,  olives,  the  mulberry,  flocks  and  herds 
abound.  During  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  the  mulberry  tree 
clothe  the  prospects  in  every  direction  with  a  most  delightful  ver- 


dure.  The  culture  of  silk,  of  which  immense  quantities  are  thus 
raised,  is  one  of  the  chief  employments  of  the  inhabitants.  Bey- 
root  is  pleasantly  situated,  on  the  western  side  of  a  large  bay,  in 
33  49  north  latitude.  Its  houses  are  built  of  mud,  and  of  a  soft 
sandy  crumbling  stone;  and  are  dark,  damp  and  inconvenient. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  gloomy,  and  laid  with  stones,  which  rather 
serves  as  stepping-stones  in  wet  weather,  than  answer  for  a  pave- 
ment. One-third  of  the  population,  which  numbers  not  far  from 
twenty  thousand,  and  is  increasing,  reside  in  the  gardens  and  or- 
chards which  surround  the  city,  and  give  to  its  environs  an  aspect 
of  great  verdure  and  beauty.  It  is  in  these  environs,  on  the  hills 
to  the  south  of  the  city,  that  the  houses  of  the  missionaries  are 
situated.  The  prospects  which  they  command  is  very  grand.  To 
the  north  the  eye  takes  the  whole  bay,  to  the  point  near  Nahhar 
Ibraheem.  To  the  right  the  mighty  wall  of  Lebanon  rises  in  indes- 
cribable majesty,  with  one  of  its  loftiest  summits,  Jebel  Sunnin,  in 
full  view,  lo  is  to  the  north  of  this  summit,  a  distance  of  six  or 
eight  hours,  that  is  to  say  of  fifteen  or  twenty  miles,  that  the  cele- 
brated cedar  grove  of  Lebanon  is  to  be  found.  Abeih  is  about  fif- 
teen miles  south  from  Beyroot.  It  is  delightfully  situated,  in  a 
valley,  about  half  way  up  one  of  the  highest  parts  of  Mount  Leb- 
anon. From  a  hill  back  of  it,  in  the  direction  of  Bhamboom, 
higher  up  the  same  valley,  twenty-one  villages  may  be  counted. 
Sidon,  at  a  short  distance,  has  a  noble  appearance,  standing  out 
boldly  into  the  sea,  on  rather  high  ground,  and  embosomed  in  trees. 
It  contains  not  far  from  six  thousand  inhabitants.  The  houses  on 
the  eastern  side,  which  are  distinguished  for  their  size  and  height, 
are  built  directly  on  the  wall,  so  as  to  constitute  a  part  of  it.  At 
this  point  the  mountains,  which  are  of  a  much  lower  elevation  than 
further  north,  begin  to  recede  from  the  coast,  and  leave  a  narrow 
plain,  which  just  before  reaching  Tyre,  a  distance  of  about  thirty 
miles,  has  become  a  mile  in  width. 

A  road — not  a  broad  carriage  road  like  those  in  this  country,  but 
a  narrow,  rocky  path,  along  which  often  only  a  single  line  of  don- 
keys or  horses  can  pick  their  way — inclining  slightly  towards  the 
south,  leads  from  Sidon  to  Hashbeiya.  In  passing  along  this  road, 
you  leave  Mount  Lebanon;  cross  the  Leontes,  which  flows  through 
a  valley  of  great  fertility  and  indescribable  beauty,  about  ten  miles 
in  width,  and  more  than  a  hundred  in  length,  lying  between  the 
peaks  of  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon;  pass  over  a  narrow 


[12] 


range  of  hills,  which  separates  the  valley  of  the  Leontes  from  that 
of  the  Jordan,  and  begin  to  ascend  the  southern  extremity  of 
Mount  Hermon.  Here  is  Hashbeiya,  overhanging  a  narrow  glen, 
which,  coming  down  from  the  mountain,  enters  the  valley  just  be- 
low the  point  where  a  copious  fountain  pours  forth  one  of  the 
streams  of  the  Jordan.  The  city  contains  about  six  thousand  in- 
habitants, mostly  mechanics  and  petty  merchants.  The  inhabi- 
tants of  Mount  Lebanon  are  more  than  200.000,  all  of  the  Arab 
race,  and  speaking  a  language  which  is  used  by  60,000,000  people. 


From  Beyroot  our  company  moved  southward  on  mules  and 
camels  about  five  miles,  and  the  sky  being  clear,  we  encamped  in 
the  open  air  under  a  grove  of  mulberry,  although  at  a  short  distance 
was  a  khan  where  we  might  have  found  shelter. 

The  next  day  we  pushed  on  toward  Sidon.  On  our  right  rolled 
the  waves  of  the  wide,  wide  sea,  dashing  furiously  upon  the  sandy 
beach.  On  our  left  were  the  spurs  of  Mount  Lebanon,  now  ap- 
proaching quite  to  the  sea,  compelling  us  to  ride  along  the  beach, 
and  at  times  in  the  water. 

Now  again  the  hills  and  mountains  recede  further  from  the  shore, 
the  intervening  space  furnishing  plains  for  the  cultivation  of  grain. 
Up  the  mountain  slopes  were  to  be  seen,  pastures,  and  flocks  of 
Syrian  sheep  ;  vineyards,  and  orchards  with  various  kinds  of  fruit. 

Here  and  there,  villages  adorned  the  hillsides,  which  at  a  distance 
appeared  attractive,  but  a  nearer  approach  diminished  their  beauty. 

In  the  afternoon  we  entered  the  famous  city  of  Sidon,  and  took 
np  our  lodgings  in  the  khan,  which  is  said  once  to  have  been  a 
French  factory.  Like  some  large  buildings  in  the  East,  it  is  in  the 
form  of  a  hollow  square,  with  a  fountain  in  the  center.  It  is  about 
a  hundred. and  fifty  feet  in  extent  on  each  side.  This  khan  was 
erected  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  by  the  famous  Emir  or 
prince  of  the  Druzes,  Fakhr  Ed  Din  who  was  a  great  patron  of 
European  commerce.  The  modern  town  of  Saida  is  not  on  the  pre- 
cise spot  of  the  ancient  city.  It  is  upon  elevated  ground,  and  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  sea.  It  contains  about  five  thousand  in- 
habitants, who  are  industrious,  and  enjoying  a  moderate  degree  of 
prosperity,  but  their  agriculture  and  silk  manufacturing  is  not 


[13] 


conducted  with  either  skill  or  economy.  The  harbor  where  once 
the  proud  ships  rode  in  safety,  is  so  shallow  from  the  sand  washed 
up  by  the  sea,  that  only  a  few  small  crafts  can  come  into  port.  Her 
products  are  chiefly  sent  to  the  greater  market  at  Beyroot.  In  the 
rear  of  the  site  of  the  ancient  city,  are  a  number  of  ancient  tombs, 
but  on  the  locality  itself  there  are  few  objects  of  interest,  except  an 
occasional  broken  piece  of  architecture,  indicating  its  former  exis- 
tance.  Dr.  Eobinson  thus  accurately  describes  this  place  and  its 
vicinity. — "The  beauty  of  Saida  consists  in  its  gardens  and  its  orch- 
ards, of  fruit  trees  which  fill  the  plain  and  extend  to  the  foot  of  the 
mountains. 

The  city,  and  tract  around  it,  are  abundantly  supplied  with  wa- 
ter by  aqueducts  and  channels,  which  conduct  it  from  the  Awly 
and  other  small  streams,  as  they  issue  from  the  mountains. 

The  environs  exhibit  everywhere  a  luxuriant  verdure.  The 
fruits  of  Saida  are  esteemed  the  finest  of  the  country,  among  them 
are  pomegranates,  apricots,  figs,  almonds,  oranges,  lemons,  and 
plums,  which  grow  in  such  abundance,  as  to  furnish  annually 
several  ship-loads  for  export." 

Several  important  prophesies  relate  to  Sidon,  which  its  history 
has  verified.  Isaiah  says,  of  her  future  destiny,  "Be  thou  ashamed 
O  Zidon,  for  the  sea  hath  spoken,  the  strength  of  the  sea  saying,  I 
travail  not,  nor  bring  forth  children."  The  absence  of  commerce 
from  her  harbor,  is  a  fair  comment  on  this  passage. 

Ezekiel,  in  the  xxvm  chapter  22d  and  23d  verses,  thus  prophesies 
against  Sidon:  "Thus,  saith  the  Lord  God,  I  am  against  thee,  O 
Zidon,  and  I  will  be  glorified  in  the  midst  of  thee — for  I  will  send 
into  her  pestilence,  and  blood  into  her  streets,  and  the  wounded 
shall  be  judged  in  the  midst  of  her,  by  the  sword  upon  every  side." 

Sidon,  in  common  with  all  Phoenicia,  and  many  other  countries, 
became  tributary  to  Babylon,  about  575  B.  C.,  and  in  the  fall  of 
that  empire,  passed  under  the  dominion  of  the  Persians  in  538. 
The  Persian  government,  unstable  at  home,  was  often  severe  and 
oppressive  upon  its  dependencies.  About  352,  one  Ochus,  also 
called  Artaxerxes  the  third,  sat  on  the  throne.  He  was  ambitious 
to  subdue  a  revolt  that  had  been  started  in  Egypt.  Tired  of  the 
arbitrary  and  uncertain  administration  of  the  Persian  monarch, 
the  Phoenicians  revolted,  just  as  Ochus  was  about  engaging  in  the 
Egyptian  expedition.  The  route  of  his  army  was  directly  through 
Phoenicia.  An  alliance  was  formed  between  the  Egyptians  and  the 
Phoenicians  to  resist  the  Persians. 


[14] 


Nectantebus  wns  at  that  time  the  king  of  Egypt.  He  had  in  his 
service  one  Mentor,  a  distinguished  general,  a  native  of  the  Isle  of 
Ehodes,  whom  he  sent  with  four  thousand  troops  to  Sidon.  The 
Phoenician  and  Egyptian  army  met  those  of  Ochus,  composed  of 
Syrian  and  Lician  forces  on  the  confines  of  Syria,  and  defeated  the 
royal  troops,  driving  them  entirely  out  of  Phcenecia. 

Persia  was,*at  the  same  time,  engaged  in  a  war  with  a  revolted 
province  in  Asia  Minor.  Just  about  the  same  time,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Isle  of  Cyprus,  which  had  been  tributary  to  Persia,  rebelled, 
thus  throwing  upon  Ochus  three  wars  at  once. 

Ochus  now  set  out  in  person  to  conquer  Egypt,  expecting,  of 
course,  that  the  first  struggle  would  be  in  Phoenicia,  where  his  gene- 
rals had  lately  been  defeated.  He  entered  the  land  with  an  army 
of  300,000  foot,  and  30,000  horsemen. 

Meritor  was  at  Sidon  with  the  Egyptian  and  Grecian  allies,  in  all 
only  a  few  thousand  men.  Alarmed  at  the  approach  of  so  great  an 
army,  he  immediately  planned  to  surrender  treacherously  the  city 
and  people  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

Tennes,  the  then  king  of  Sidon,  engaged  in  the  same  treason, 
having  received  a  promise  of  great  reward.  The  Sidonians,  not 
suspecting  treachery,  prepared  for  defense  as  Ochus  approached. 
They  burned  their  own  ships,  the  better  to  stimulate  their  men  to 
fight  by  cutting  off  all  hope  of  retreat — a  device  often  practiced, 
but  never  with  good  results.  When  in  the  midst  of  the  struggle 
the  Sidonians  found  themselves  betrayed,  many  of  them  shut  them- 
selves up  in  their  houses,  which  were  set  on  fire,  and  they  were 
burned  with  all  their  treasures.  Forty  thousand  men,  besides  wo- 
men and  children  perished  in  this  way. 

When  Ochus  had  gained  possession  of  Sidon,  having  no  further 
use  for  king  Tennes,  he  put  him  to  death,  as  he  deserved. 

Thus  we  see  how  little  of  honesty,  or  truth,  remains  in  the 
breast  of  the  conqueror  when  his  ends  are  accomplished.  The  king 
of  Sidon  merited  his  fate,  but  not  at  the  hand  of  the  Persian. 

At  that  time  Sidon  was  very  rich. — The  gold  and  silver  being 
melted,  mingled^with  the  ashes  of  the  desolate  city.  These  cinders, 
Ochus  sold  to  purchasers,  who  sifted  out  the  precious  metals.  All 
Phoenicia  terrified  at  the  fate  of  Sidon,  and  the  treachery  of  its  king, 
submitted  to  the  Persians. 

About  twenty  years  after  these  events,  Alexander  the  great  passed 
triumphantly  along  this  coast.  Sidon  had  partially  regained  her 


[15] 


former  glory.  She  opened  her  gates  and  received  the  Macedonian 
hero,  who  treated  her  kindly  at  the  time  that  his  terrible  wrath  fell 
so  heav^y  upon  Tyre.  About  sixty -five  years  before  the  birth  of 
Christ,  all  Phoenicia  and  Syria  became  subject  to  the  Eomans,  under 
whose  favor,  Sidon  became  again  an  opulent  city,  whose  flourishing 
trade  continued  until  some  centuries  after  the  Christian  era.  It  is 
noted  in  the  New  Testament,  for  the  visits  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the 
apostle  Paul. 

Centuries  rolled  on,  when  the  Crusade  wars  raged  between 
Christians  of  the  west  and  Saracens  of  the  East.  Sidon  was  alter- 
nately in  the  possession  of  the  opposite  parties,  each  of  whom  strove 
to  desolate  the  city.  From  about  fourteen  hundred  to  seventeen 
hundred  it  remained  in  ruins,  and  of  litle  note,  until  FakhrEd  Din 
revived  its  ancient  commerce,  committing  its  trade  chiefly  into  the 
hands  of  the  French,  and  built  for  their  benefit  the  khan  already 
described.  In  1791,  Pasha  Jezzar  expelled  the  French,  since  which 
time  the  commerce  of  Sidon  has  been  but  the  limited  Caravan  trade 
of  the  Syrian  Arabs. 

TYRE. 

Another  days  travel  of  twenty-five  miles  brought  us  across  the 
Leontes,  on  whose  bank  we  encamped  near  the  ruins  of  Tyre.  The 
modern  town  of  Sur  answers  to  Tyre,  although  not  on  the  same 
spot.  It  is  a  place  of  about  one  thousand  inhabitants,  who  subsist 
by  agriculture,  the  cultivation  and  preservation  of  fruits,  and  by 
fishing. 

Their  trade  and  commerce  is  gone.  The  ancient  city'is  desolate, 
according  to  the  word  of  the  Lord,  by  Ezekiel. 

A  portion  of  the  ruins  of  Tyre  are  submerged  in  the  sea.  Out 
of  the  deep  rise  masses  resembling  castles,  towers,  and  chimneys, 
whose  base  have  been  inundated  by  the  action' of  the  water. 

Other  portions  of  the  once  harbor  are  now  filled  with  sand,  lying 
high  and  dry  above  the  sea.  A  part  of  the  ruins  are  upon  dry 
land,  surrounded  by  the  surf-beaten  sands.  In  one  place  there  re- 
mains part  of  an  arched-building,  which,  if  restored,  would  make  a 
grand  hall.  This  may  have  been  the  famous  temple  of  Hercules, 
reared  by  Solomon  and  Hiram  for  the  worship  of  that  deity,  and 
partially  destroyed  some  seven  hundred  years  afterward,  by  Alex- 
ander the  Great.  Many  fragments  of  the  rich  architecture  lie 
strown  around;  among  others,  caps,  pillars,  and  cornices,  with  an 


[16] 
f 

occasional  mutilated  specimen  of  that  peculiar  and  enigmatical 
work,  the  Lily,  the  Pomegranate,  and  the  Net- work. 

THE     FOUNTAINS. 

Eas  El  Ain  is  a  place  worthy  of  notice.  Far  in  the  rear  of  Tyre, 
in  some  unknown  arcana,  is  a  fountain  of  water  which  is  conveyed 
by  invisible  channels  into  this  vicinity,  and  discharges  into  three 
cisterns  or  reservoirs  on  the  south  of  Tyre.  One  of  these  is  about 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  sea,  and  the  others  a  little  further 
distant.  The  one,  first  named,  is  of  an  octagonal  form,  and  is  sixty 
feet  in  diameter.  It  is  about  twenty-seven  feet  above  the  ground. 
The  water  within,  is  more  than  forty  feet  deep.  The  material  of 
this  cistern  is  gravel  and  cement,  so  compact  as  to  make  it  appear 
like  one  entire  vessel  of  rock.  Into  this  cistern,  as  well  as  the 
other  two,  so  large  a  quantity  of  water  pours,  that  the  aqueduct 
leading  from  them  not  only  supplies  the  city,  but  also  propels  four 
mills  for  grinding  corn.  This  aqueduct  leads  northward  about 
three  miles,  then,  near  a  small  mount,  on  which  stands  a  mosque, 
turning  westward  it  passes  into  the  town.  When,  by  whom,  or  in 
what  manner  this  mysterious  aqueduct,  with  its  secret  supplies, 
was  constructed,  is  now  unknown.  Tradition  refers  them  to  Solo- 
mon, king  of  Israel;  but  Maundrell  thinks  this  can  not  be  true. 

He  says  that  "they  could  not  be  built  till  since  Alexander's  time, 
because  the  aqueduct  which  conveys  the  water  hence  to  Tyre,  is 
carried  over  the  neck  of  land  by  which  Alexander,  in  his  famous 
siege  of  this  place,  joined  the  city  to  the  continent. 

And  as  the  cisterns  can  not  well  be  imagined  to  be  more  ancient 
than  the  aqueduct,  so  we  may  be  sure  that  the  aqueduct  can  not  be 
older  than  the  ground  it  stands  upon."  This  argument  is  not  en- 
tirely conclusive;  the  cisterns  and  fountain,  with  their  secret  chan- 
nel, may  be  older  than  the  aqueduct,  the  water  being  conveyed 
into  the  city  by  some  other  means. 

Again,  it  is  not  absolutely  certain  that  the  point  of  the  peninsula, 
over  which  the  aqueduct  passes,  is  precisely  the  one  constructed  by 
Alexander.  By  whomsoever  constructed,  such  a  secret  supply  of 
water  would  have  been  of  great  utility  in  the  long  and  terrible 
seiges  of  Tyre,  by  Shallmanesser  and  Nebuchadnezer. 

THE    LADDER  OF    TYKE. 

South  of  Tyre,  a  spur  of  mountains  approach  near  the  sea,  form- 
ing an  abrupt  elevation,  called  by  the  Romans,  from  its  white  chalky 


[17] 


appearance,  Promontorium  Album.  No  natural  road  could  have 
passed  this  point,  but,  by  the  patient  labor  of  man;  broad  steps 
have  been  cut  in  the  solid  rock,  leading  up  to  the  top  of  the  emi- 
nence. They  are  called  the  Ladder  of  Tyre,  and  are  said  to  have 
been  constructed  by  the  soldiers  of  Alexander  while  besieging  this 
city.  This  elevated  point  commands  a  fine  view  southward  of  the 
lands  of,Israel,  and  northward  of  the  plains  of  Phoenicia,  with  the 
mountains  of  Lebanon  in  the  rear. 


JEAN  DE  ACEE  AND  MOUNT  CAEMEL. 

Some  thirty -five  miles,  or  one  and  a  half  day's  ride  south  of  Tyre, 
stands  the  town  of  Acre,  on  the  north  of  the  Bay  Acre,  called  by 
the  natives  Keifa.  It  is  naturally  well  adapted  to  become  a  strong 
fortress,  which  has  been  improved  by  art:  It  has  ever  been  deemed 
a  place  of  great  military  importance,  and  a  key  to  that  part  of  Pal- 
estine. A  city  was  built  here  about  280  B.  C.  by  the  Sc!eneids3, 
called  Ptolemais,  which  name  it  retained  until  the  Mohamedan 
domain  in  Palestine.  For  a  time  the  court  of  Syria  resided  in  this 
city.  Here  reigned  the  elder  Syrian  Cleopatra.  Under  Turkish 
rule  it  has  enjoyed  a  share  of  Syrian  commerce,  but  has  experienced 
many  of  the  misfortunes  attendant  upon  war.  In  November,  1840, 
the  English,  then  at  war  with  Mahomet  Ali,  blew  up  the  town, 
dashed  to  pieces  mosques,  houses,  and  walls,  and  almost  instantane- 
ously slew  two  thousand  of  the  Pasha's  soldiers.  The  city  is  in 
process  of  repair,  but  still  has  a  shattered  appearance.  Acre  prob- 
ably contains  above  10,000  inhabitants,  employed  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  manufacturing  cotton,  preparing  oil,  fishing  and  begging. 

Passing  around  to  the  head  of  the  bay  to  the  east  of  the  town,  we 
cross  the  river  Belus,  a  small  stream,  perhaps  fifty  yards  broad;  then 
moving  southward  along  the  coast,  after  some  two  hours'  ride,  we 
crossed  the  river  Kishon,  near  its  outlet  into  the  sea.  This  stream, 
so  distinguished  in  the  song  of  Deborah,  drains  all  the  west  part  of 
the  valley  of  Esdrselon.  At  times  it  is  a  mighty  flood,  and  sweeps 
away  every  thing  in  its  course — at  other  times  it  is  but  an  insigni- 
ficant rill.  It  is  called  by  the  Arabs  Nahor  Morkato,  or  the  stream 
of  blood,  in  allusion  to  the  slaughter  of  the  priests  of  Baal  by  Elijah 
at  this  place. 
3— 


[18] 


Immediately  south  of  the  Kishon,  we  meet  a  range  of  mountains, 
which  bound  the  great  valley  on  the  south,  and  terminates  abruptly 
at  the  sea  coast  by  a  premonitory  called 

MOUNT  CARMEL. 

Here  Elijah  bowed  himself  and  prayed  for  rain,  while  his  servant 
went  and  looked  towards  the  sea,  until  a  cloud  no  bigger  than  a 
man's  hand  appeared,  and  gave  assurance  of  an  abundance  of  rain. 
At  its  base  was  the  test  between  the  prophets  of  Baal  and  the  one 
lone  prophet  of  the  God  of  Israel.  This  was  not  the  Carmel  of 
David's  adventure  with  Nabal  and  Abigal.  Carmel  is  crowned  with 
a  monastery  said  to  have  cost  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  where 
a  number  of  monks  spend  their  time  in  cultivating  grapes,  in  en- 
tertaining travelers,  and  in  devotion.  It  is  claimed  that  the  altar 
of  worship  stands  upon  the  exact  spot  where  the  prophet  Elijah 
knelt  and  prayed.  The  top  of  Carmel  is  barren,  while  the  sides  are 
adorned  with  vineyards  and  olive  trees.  Toward  the  sea  the  moun- 
tain terminates  abruptly,  giving  a  contour  to  the  whole  mountain 
resembling  a  human  head  facing  the  sea;  and  thus  by  its  barren 
tops  and  bushy  sides,  verifying  the  name  Carmel,  or  bald  head. 

Passing  from  the  mountains  and  journeying  along  the  coast  south- 
ward, about  two  days'  journey,  brought  us  to  the  ruins  of 

C^SAREA. 

Along  the  rugged  coast  of  Israel  anciently  stood  a  stronghold  or 
fortress,  above  it  was  a  tower,  said  to  have  been  built  by  one  Strata, 
hence  sometimes  called  Strato's  tower.  This  place  fell  in  the  terri- 
tory of  the  tribe  of  Mannessah,  and  was  the  chief  port  of  the  king- 
dom of  Israel.  Under  Herod  it  received  the  name  of  Caesarea,  in 
honor  of  Augustus  Caesar.  To  this  place  Paul  was  sent  to  escape 
the  Jews.  Here  he  delivered  his  great  speech  before  king  Agrippa. 
From  this  port  he  sailed  a  prisoner  to  Rome.  Csesarea  was  deso- 
lated in  the  time  of  the  Crusade  war,  since  which  it  has  been  a 
place  of  little  importance;  large  masses  of  ruins  still  remain,  as 
tombstones  of  the  ancient  city.  Little  of  interest,  except  these 
ruins,  now  remains  at  Csesarea.  It  is  called  by  the  Arabs  Kairsar- 
ich. 


[19] 


JOPPA.— (JAFFA.) 

Another  day's  ride  brought  us  to  this  renowned  place,  once  the 
port  of  Judea.  In  the  Greek  mythology  Joppa  was  connected  with 
the  fate  of  Andromedea.  The  Jews  had  a  tradition  that  upon  this 
coast  were  found  the  bones  of  the  great  fish  that  swallowed  Jonah. 
The  city  is  called  Jaffa.  It  is  situated  upon  an  elevation  command- 
ing a  view  of  the  harbor  and  the  sea.  The  slope  of  the  hill  descends 
from  the  sea,  and  the  whole  city  is  surrounded  by  a  wall.  The  in- 
habitants, who  are  about  six  thousand  in  number,  are  engaged  in 
agriculture,  the  manufacture  of  olive  oil,  wine,  and  raisins.  Great 
quantities  of  oranges  and  melons  are  raised  in  this  vicinity.  For 
several  miles  in  the  rear  of  Joppa  the  face  of  the  country  is  level, 
and  abounds  with  groves  of  fruit  trees  and  well  cultivated  fields. 
Just  at  the  foot  of  the  hills  is  a  narrow  border  of  land,  covered  with 
large,  black  boulders  of  rock.  A  tradition  exists  among  the  natives 
to  this  effect;  that  in  ancient  times,  the  prophet  Elijah  caused  a  great 
famine,  and  when  the  drouth  was  at  the  extremest  severity  he  came 
to  Joppa.  Here  he  begged  of  the  inhabitants  a  watermelon  to 
quench  his  thirst;  but  they  being  offended  at  him  for  causing  the 
drouth,  refused  his  request.  For  this  inhospitality,  he  became  en- 
raged, cursed  the  whole  field,  and  turned  all  their  melons  into 
hardheads. 

By  the  action  of  the  sea,  the  harbor  and  the  coast  are  filled  with 
sand,  to  such  a  degree  that  large  vessels  cannot  approach  it.  For 
this  reason  the  commerce  of  Joppa  is  very  limited,  and  its  ancient 
importance  lost. 

A  missionary  establishment  purely  for  agricultural  improvement 
has  been  established  at  Jaffa,  which  is  exerting  a  very  beneficial  in- 
fluence upon  the  country. 

Leaving  Jaffa  we  rode  along  amid  luxuriant  groves  and  well 
cultivated  fields  for  several  miles;  at  length  passing  Elijah's  Water 
Melons,  we  began  to  ascend  the  hills. 

Traveling  nearly  east,  alternately  ascending  and  descending  and 
crossing  several  small  rivulets,  we  encamped  at  Eamla,  supposed  by 
some  writers  to  be  the  Emaus  of  the  Bible.  Next  morning  we 
passed  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  whose  side  stands  an  old  edifice  which 
is  reputed  to  have  been  the  tomb  of  Samuel. 


[20] 


How  exciting  and  peculiar  are  the  emotions  on  beholding  that  city 
whose  varied  history  is  so  intimately  blended  with  things  sacred 
and  profane — a  place  of  piety,  devotion  and  holy  worship — a  place 
of  murders,  treason  and  rebellion — of  the  bloody  wars  of  Jews, 
Babylonians,  Persians,  Syrians,  Egyptians,  Eomans,  Mahomedans 
and  Crusaders.  But  our  emotions  cannot  be  written,  they  must  be 
experienced  to  be  known,  and  the  greater  our  acquaintance  with 
the  history  of  these  events,  the  more  lively  are  our  emotions  on  be- 
holding this  sacred  place.  On  approaching  the  city,  we  were  in- 
formed that  before  entering  we  must  submit  to  a  rigid  quarantine 
of  five  days;  so  for  the  time,  we  turned  our  attention  to  other  objects 
of  interest,  among  which  were  the  cities  of  Bethlehem  and  Hebron, 
and  the  temple.  We  may  safely  infer  that  this  secret  passage  from 
the  Temple  to  the  country  was  known  to  the  kings  and  high-priests 
of  Judah,  although  a  secret  to  others,  and  that  by  this  way  Zedeki- 
ah  made  his  escape  when  the  city  was  so  closely  beseiged  by  the 
King  of  Babylon. 


BETHLEHEM. 

Journeying  from  Joppa  toward  Jerusalem,  we  passed  quite  to 
the  north  of  this  place.  On  an  elevation,  our  attention  was  directed 
to  a  group  of  buildings  seen  in  the  distance,  which  we  were  told 
was  the  city  of  David.  Subsequently  we  visited  this  place  and 
Hebron.  Passing  along  through  a  valley,  shaded  by  two  round- 
topped  hills,  we  came  suddenly  in  view  of  Bethlehem,  situated 
upon  the  top  of  a  hill  in  front  of  us.  .The  light  of  the  declining 
day  shone  directly  upon  the  hill-side,  giving  it  an  attractive  ap- 
pearance. Toiling  up  the  hill-side,  we  entered  the  city,  and  repos- 
ed for  the  night.  I  was,  for  a  time,  absorbed  in  the  solemn  reflec- 
tion, that  from  the  hill-top  went  forth  He  that  was  the  light  of  the 
world,  whose  light  is  yet  to  enlighten  the  Gentiles  to  the  end  of 
the  earth. 

At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  I  was  up  to  view  the  landscape. 
All  around  were  hills  and  dales,  forcibly  reminding  us  of  the  Bible 
appellation,  the  hill  country  of  Judea.  As  the  early  light  of  the 
morning,  streaming  from  beyond  the  Dead  Sea,  and  over  the  hills, 
fell  upon  the  town,  it  seemed  to  be  shrouded  in  a  mantle  of  glory, 


[21] 


while  the  vales  beneath  our  feet  were  still  wrapped  in  the  shadows 
of  night.  I  felt  more  forcibly  the  impressions  of  the  preceding 
evening,  that  this  was  the  city  of  light— the  light  separating  from 
darkness,  for  the  light  shineth  in  darkness,  and  the  darkness  com- 
prehendeth  it  not.  On  every  hand  are  mountains,  with  iuterven- 
ing  fertile  valleys,  which"  give  to  the  surrounding  country  the 
name  Ephrata,  signifying  bread,  equivalent  to  goodness.  How 
beautiful  the  variegated  prospect;  how  expressive  its  name!  Beth- 
lehem, light  of  the  Lord;  Ephrata,  goodness,  Bread  of  Eternal 
Life.  Were  not  these  names  prophetic?  From  this  hill,  among 
these  valleys,  was  to  proceed  He  that  was  the  Light  of  Eternal 
Wisdom,  the  Light  of  the  World,  and  the  goodness  of  the  Lord  in 
giving  us  the  Bread  of  Eternal  Life.  He  was  full  of  grace  and 
Truth. 

Bethlehem  is  situated  upon  a  hill,  seven  or  eight  miles,  a  little 
west  of  south,  from  Jerusalem,  and  contains  about  four  thousand 
inhabitants,  mostly  Christians,  Latins,  Greeks,  and  Armenians.  It 
is,  indeed,  a  city  set  on  a  hill  that  cannot  be  hid;  but  its  elevated 
position  prevents  it  from  having  a  natural  supply  of  water.  That 
indispensable  element  of  life  is  brought  to  Bethlehem,  as  well  as 
Jerusalem,  by  aqueducts  from  pools  in  the  mountains  south-east  of 
this  place,  on  our  route  to  Hebron.  The  principal  objects  of  curi- 
osity are  the  tomb  of  Eachel,  probably  genuine,  and  the  alleged 
convent  of  the  nativity,  probably  a  pious  fraud. 

The  incidents  in  the  history  of  Bethlehem,  though  few,  are  ex- 
ceedingly interesting.  Here  the  little  lad  Benjamin  was  born. 
Here  Rachel  died,  and  was  buried  in  the  tomb  still  bearing  her 
name.  In  the  partition  of 'the  country,  this  vicinity  fell  to  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  cityj||ras  called  Bethlehem.  To  this  place 
returned  ISTaomi  with  her  faithful  daughter  Ruth,  from  Moab,  where 
she  and  her  family  had  been  driven  by  famine.  Here  dwelt  Boaz 
and  Jesse.  In  the  vale  below  David  tended  his  little  flock,  while 
his  elder  brethren  were  defending  the  country  against  the  Philis- 
tines. From  these  hill-sides  came  forth  the  lion  and  the  bear  to 
devour  his  sheep.  Here  the  valiant  boy  defended  his  charge,  and 
this  nerved  his  arm  and  his  mind  for  his  future  career,  in  govern- 
ing, defending  and  instructing  his  people.  It  was  in  Bethlehem  that 
a  certain  Levite,  of  Mount  Ephraim.  went  to  recover  his  runaway 
wife,  with  whom,  on  his  return,  he  met  with  such  rough  treatment 


[22] 


from  the  inhospitable  Benjaminites,  out  of  which  grew  a  civil  war, 
which  well  nigh  exterminated  the  offending  tribe. 

Here  the  Savior  of  the  world  made  his  first  appearance.  Here 
the  light  of  angels'  wings  shone  out  on  that  night,  and  the  songs 
of  heaven  broke  through  the  arch  above,  and  re-echoed  among 
these  hills  and  vales:  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth 
peace  and  good  will  to  men.  Over  this  hill  stood  the  star,  that 
guided  the  wise  men  of  the  east  to  the  cradle  of  Him  who  was  the 
Wisdom  of  God. 

Here,  incited  by  jealousy,  Herod  caused  the  slaughter  of  the 
babes,  whose  terrible  fate  is  poetically  described  as  disturbing  the 
slumbers  of  Eachel  in  her  tomb;  for  in  Eamah  was  there  a  voice 
heard — Eachel  mourning  for  her  children,  and  would  not  be  com- 
forted because  they  were  not. 

THE  POOLS. 

South-east  of  Bethlehem  we  come  to  a  narrow,  stony  valley, 
hemmed  in  between  ragged,  rocky  hills.  On  the  side  of  the  hill 
which  overhangs  the  valley  is  a  reservoir,  or  fountain  of  water,  hid- 
den in  the  bowels  of  the  mountains.  The  water  first  issues  through 
an  orifice,  and,  running  a  few  yards,  drops  into  a  stone  chamber 
beautifully  arched  above.  The  chamber  is  forty-five  feet  long,  and 
twenty-four  feet  wide.  Another  singular  room  is  in  connection 
with  this.  From  these  fountains  the  water  pursues  a  subterranean 
course  about  three  hundred  feet  south-east  to  the  first  pool,  from 
thence  connecting  with  the  second  and  third.  These  pools  are  in 
the  hill-side,  having  natural  rocky  bottoms,  and  are  built  of  ce- 
ment of  great  strength  and  durability.  There  are  steps  for  des- 
cending into  the  pools.  The  first,  or  upper  pool,  is  three  hundred 
and  eighty  feet  long;  at  the  east  end,  two  hundred  and  thirty-six 
feet;  and  at  the  west  end,  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  wide,  and 
twenty-five  feet  deep.  Descending  the  hill  irregularly,  some  two 
hundred  feet,  we  come  to  the  second  pool,  which  is  four  hundred 
and  ninety -three  feet,  at  the  east  end  two  hundred  and  fifty,  and 
at  the  west  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  wide,  and  thirty-nine  feet 
deep.*  Some  two  hundred  and  forty  feet  further  to  the  south-east, 


*The  tomb  of  Moses  is  unknown,  but  the  traveler  slakes  his  thirst 
at  the  well  of  Jacob.    The  gorgeous  palace  of  the  wisest  of  mon- 


[23] 


and  a  few  feet  lower,  stands  the  third  pool,  which  is  five  hundred 
and  eighty-two  feet  long,  and  at  the  east  end  two  hundred  and 
seven  feet,  and  at  the  west  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet  wide, 
and  fifty  feet  deep.  These  great  reservoirs  supply  with  water  the 
cities  of  Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem  although  many  miles  distant. 
Tradition  refers  their  construction  to  King  Solomon.  I  have 
been  unable  to  find  any  thing  in  the  Bible  to  confirm  that  tra- 
dition. 

HEBRON. 

This  ancient  city  of  the  Israelites  was  situated  about  fifteen 
miles  south  by  south-west  of  Jerusalem,  and  about  eight  miles 
south  of  Bethlehem.  Leaving  the  city  of  David,  the  narrow  road 
leads  us  occasionally  in  sight  of  ruined  towns  and  khans,  and  a  few 
modern  villages.  Alternately  descending  and  ascending  the  hills, 
we  arrive  at  an  elevation  which  furnishes  an  extensive  prospect. 

archs,  with  the  cedar,  and  gold,  and  ivory,  and  even  the  Temple 
of  Jerusalem,  hallowed  by  the  visible  glory  of  the  Deity  himself, 
are  gone;  but  Solomon's  reservoirs  are  as  perfect  as  ever.  Of  the 
ancient  architecture  of  the  holy  city,  not  one  stone  is  left  upon 
another;  but  the  pool  of  Bethesda  commands  the  pilgrim's  rever- 
ence to  the  present  day.  The  columns  of  Persepolis  are  mouldering 
into  the  dust;  but  its  cisterns  and  aquaducts  remain  to  challenge 
our  admiration.  The  golden  house  of  Nero  is  a  mass  of  ruins,  but 
the  Aqua  Claudia  still  pours  into  Rome  its  limpid  streams.  The 
temple  of  the  Sun  at  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness  has  fallen;  but  its 
fountains  sparkles  as  freely  in  his  rays  as  when  thousands  of  wor- 
shippers thronge4  its  lofty  colonades. 

It  may  be  that  London  will  share  the  fate  of  Babylon,  and 
nothing  be  left  to  mark  its  site,  save  the  mounds  of  crumbling 
brickwork;  but  the  Thames  will  continue  to  flow  as  it  does  now. 
-And  if  any  work  of  art  should  still  rise  over  the  deep  ocean  of 
time,  we  may  well  believe  that  it  will  be  neither  palace  nor  temple, 
but  some  vast  reservoir.  And  if  the  light  of  any  should  still  flash 
through  the  mist  of  antiquity,  it  will  probably  be  that  of  the  man 
who,  in  his  day,  sought  the  happiness  of  his  fellow  men  rather 
than  glory,  and  linked  his  memory  to  some  great  work  of  national 
utility  and  benevolence.  This  is  the  glory  which  outlives  all  other, 
and  shines  with  undying  lustre  from  generation  to  generation,  im- 
parting to  its  work  something  of  its  own  immortality,  and  in  some 
degree  rescuing  therefrom  the  ordinary  monuments  of  historical 
tradition  of  more  magnificence. — Buffalo  Christian  Advocate. 


[24] 


Far  away  to  the  west  we  behold  the  fertile  plains  of  ancient  Phil- 
listia,  and  part  of  the  famous  valley  of  Sharon.  Beyond  this  we 
catch  glimpses  of  the  Great  Sea.  To  the  south  of  us  rise  the 
mountains  of  Northern  Arabia,  the  habitation  of  Esau  and  Ishmael. 
Behind  us,  but  not  visible,  are  Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem.  To  the 
east,  rise  the  irregular  mountains  that  separate  us  from  the  Dead 
Sea.  Here  Abraham  may  have  stood  when  he  saw  over  these 
peaks  the  column  of  smoke  ascending  like  a  furnace  from  the  des- 
truction of  Sodom.  Directly  in  front  of  us  is  a  valley  narrowing 
towards  the  south.  This  is  the  Eschol  of  the  time  of  Joshua,  and 
from  this  vicinity  were  borne  grapes  by  the  two  faithful  spies  to 
the  camp  of  Israel,  which  could  not  have  been  far  south  of  Hebron. 
Down  the  steps  we  descend  into  the  valley,  still  adorned  with  vine- 
yards, which  overhang  the  terraces  along  the  sides.  Here  are  also 
cultivated  many  other  kinds  of  fruit,  such  as  olives,  figs,  pome- 
grantes,  apricots  and  quinces.  Among  the  peculiar  attractions  -of 
eastern  thoroughfares,  are  the  frequent  artificial  pools  of  water,  to 
quench  the  thirst  of  man  and  beast,  as  well  as  to  supply  aqueducts 
which  conduct  the  limpid  stream  to  distant  cities  and  villages. 

Among  other  objects  of  interest  on  this  route — about  two  miles 
from  Hebron  is  a  majestic  oak,  about  twenty-two  feet  in  diameter, 
called  by  the  Arabs,  Sindian,  by  Jews  and  Monks,  the  tree  of 
Abraham.  It  must  have  been  near  this  spot  that  Abraham  sat  in 
his  tent  door  when  he  beheld  the  approach  of  his  three  guests,  but 
it  acquires  great  credulity  to  believe  that  the  Patriarch  ever  saw 
this  tree. 

Hebron  is  situated  partly  in  and  upon  the  sides  of  the  valley. 
The  most  important  present  objects  of  curiosity  here,  are  the  pools, 
situated  between  the  hills,  serving  for  irrigation,  as  well  as  refresh- 
ment; and  the  tomb  of  Abraham.  This  is  at  the  highest  part  of 
the  city,  and  at  the  base  of  the  hills  that  surround  it.  It  is  care- 
fully guarded  by  Mahometan  soldiersj^nd  neither  Jew  nor  Chris- 
tian can  examine  it  except  at  some  yards  distance.  The  eight 
courses  of  stones  adorned  with  pilasters,  have  a  very  ancient  ap- 
pearance, and  this  may  indeed  be  the  place  where  Isaac  and 
Ishmael  buried  their  father  Abraham.  It  would  seem  miraculousi 
although  quite  possible,  that  the  tomb  of  Abraham  should  have 
remained  unto  this  day,  when  we  recollect  how  many  wars  and  de- 
solating armies,  both  ancient  and  modern,  have  revolutionized  the 
whole  of  Palestine.  The  history  of  Hebron  is  quite  interesting.  It 


/* 


[25] 


is  probably  the  oldest  city  of  the  Israelites,  and  derived  its  name 
from  Eber,  or  the  home  of  the  Hebrews.  From  the  Bible  we  learn 
the  following  facts.  At  onetime  it  was  called  Kiijathbarba.  "New 
Hebron  was  built  seven  years  before  Zoan  in  Egypt."  Numbers 
xinth  chapter,  23d  verse.  "Then  Abraham  removed  his  tent,  and 
came  and  dwelt  in  the  plain  of  Mamre,  which  is  in  Hebron,  and 
built  there  an  altar  unto  the  Lord."  Genesis,  xinth  chapter,  23d 
verse.  "Here  Sarah  died  and  was  buried,  and  Abraham  came  to 
weep  for  her."  Genesis  23.  Here  Isaac  and  Eebeckah,  Jacob  and 
Leah,  were  also  buried.  David  reigned  seven  years  in  Hebron 
before  he  reigned  in  Jerusalem.  1st  Kings,  nd  chapter,  9th  verse. 
Since  the  time  of  the  Christian  era,  Hebron  and  its  vicinity  has 
been  a  place  of  some  interest.  During  the  Crusade  wars  in  1192, 
a  great  battle  was  fought  in  the  plain,  not  far  from  Hebron,  between 
Kichard  Cceur  de  Leon,  leader  of  the  Crusaders,  and  Saladan 
(Sahihsed  Din,)  Prince  of  the  Saracens.  Here,  then,  in  this  valley, 
was  the  first  permanent  home  of  the  great  head  and  father  of 
the  faithful. 


JERUSALEM. 

Of  this  renowned  city,  the  capital  of  the  chosen  people,  whose 
various  fortunes  are  so  intimately  blended  with  the  history  of  the 
world  and  the  Bible,  so  many  writers  have  spoken,  that  little  re- 
mains to  be  said  that  would  not  be  mere  repetition.  The  first 
intimation  of  this  locality  is  in  the  life  of  Abraham,  who  left  Beer- 
sheba,  and  by  three  days  journey  arrived  at  Mount  Moriah,  there 
to  offer  up  his  son  Isaac  in  obedience  to  the  divine  command.  It 
is  supposed  by  many  that  Mount  Moriah  was  the  hill  upon  which 
the  temple  was  subsequently  erected,  but  there  are  good  reasons 
for  believing  that  the  hill  about  seven  miles  west  of  Jerusalem, 
near  which  stands  the  tomb  of  Samuel,  was  the  Moriah  of  Abraham's 
time.  When  Abraham  was  returning  from  the  battle  of  the  kings, 
at  this  place,  then  called  Salem,  he  met  Melchisedec,  king  of  Salem, 
priest  of  the  most  high  God.  During  the  life  of  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
no  allusion  is  made  to  this  place.  When  the  Israelites  returned 
—4 


[26] 


from  Egypt  and  entered  the  land  of  Canaan,  this  hill,  and  others  in 
its  vicinity,  were  occupied  by  the  Jehpites,  and  the  place  was  called 
Jehus,  which  was  also  the  title  of  its  king.  Although  Joshua  de- 
feated its  king  (Josh.  12th  chap.  v.  10th,)  and  the  Judges  again 
obtained  a  victory  over  the  inhabitants,  and  burned  their  city; 
(Judges  1st,  8th,  v.,)  the  Israelites  did  not  gain  possession  of  it 
tin  til  the  time  of  David  and  Joab,  who  slew  the  people  and  captured 
the  south-west  part,  and  called  it  the  hill  of  Sion  and  the  city  of 
David,  (II  Samuel,  5th  chap.  7th  v.)  The  native  inhabitants  may 
have  been  greatly  reduced  at  that  time,  but  it  does  not  appear  that 
they  were  exterminated,  or  that  the  temple  hill  came  into  posses- 
sion of  Israel  until  some  years  subsequently.  When  the  pestilence 
was  upon  the  city,  by  reason  of  David's  sin  in  numbering  the  people, 
he  bought  the  hill  of  Aranna,  the  Jehusite,  and  built  an  alter  there- 
on, which  is  believed  to  be  the  identical  spot  where  Solomon  built 
the  temple,  II  Samuel,  ch.  24th,  v.  16th  to  25th).  The  locality  was 
within  the  territory  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  The  name  of  the 
city  is  a  combination  of  the  Canaanitish  word  Jehus,  war,  or  war- 
rior, and  the  sweetly  flowing  Hebrew  word,  Salem,  which  signifies 
peace. 

It  thus  becomes  prophetic,  and  a  type  that  the  war,  quarrel,  or 
alienation  between  God  and  man  shall  terminate  in  peace  through 
the  Prince  of  Peace,  who  brought  in  reconciliation. 

Jerusalem  stands  embossed  upon  several  hills,  with  valleys  tra- 
versing the  interior  as  well  as  surrounding  the  city  on  three  sides, 
south-west,  south  and  south-east.  The  hill  on  the  east  or  north- 
east part  of  the  city,  called  temple  mount,  is  crowned  with  the 
Mosque  of  Omar,  and,  until  quite  recently,  was  inaccessible  to  any 
but  the  followers  of  the  falsev  prophet.  Its  elevation  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  2280  feet.  Eastward  it  descends  rapidly  into  the 
valley  of  the  Jehosaphat,  somewhat  abruptly  westward  into  the 
city.  Southward  more  moderately  toward  the  foot  of  Siloam,  and 
northward  it  extends  gradually  into  a  plain  from  which  flows  the 
Hedron,  rounding  the  north-east  corner,  thence  southward  on  the 
east  of  the  city,  between  it  and  the  Mount  of  Olives. 

The  hill  of  Zion  on  the  south-west  in  a  commanding  position,  is  a 
little  higher.  The  valleys  Geherii,  called  Tophet,  are  in  the  south- 
west and  south  of  the  city,  and  join  the  Kedron  at  the  south-east 
angle. 

• 


[27] 


Jerusalem  is  surrounded  on  all  sides  with  still  higher  mountains, 
giving  an  imposing  appearance  to  the  scenery,  and  justifying  the 
language  of  David  :  "As  the  mountains  are  round  about  Jerusalem, 
so  the  Lord  campeth  around  about  his  saints."  The  most  conspi- 
cuous of  these  is  Mount  Olivet.  It  is  directly  east  of  the  city  over 
the  Kedron — rises  abruptly  to  the  height  of  two  thousand  five 
hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  On  the  summit  stands  the 
convent  of  the  Ascension,  where  it  is  asserted  Christ  ascended  to 
heaven  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples.  The  tracks  of  his  feet  im- 
pressed in  the  rock  are  shown  in  the  Convent,  but  the  careful 
observer  can  easily  detect  the  chiseling  in  the  rock,  revealing  that 
the  miraculous  impressions  are  among  the  pious  frauds  with  which 
the  east  abounds. 

From  the  east  side  of  Olivet  the  Dead  Sea  may  be  seen  in  tho 
distance.  Between  Olivet  and  the  Kedron  are  the  remains  of  many 
tombs,  supposed  by  travelers  to  be  those  of  the  prophets,  or  other 
distinguished  persons  of  antiquity.  In  the  north-west  part  ol  the 
city  the  famous  Convent  of  the  Cross  and  the  Sepulchre,  where 
many  ceremonies  are  daily  performed,  which  to  my  apprehension 
have  nothing  to  do  with  the  religion  of  the  divine  Redeemer,  who 
is  said  here  to  have  expiated  the  sins  of  the  world.  Dr.  Robinson 
has  given  great  attention  to  the  question  wThether  this  be  or  be  not 
the  very  spot  of  the  crucifixion  ;  and  after  reading  carefully  all  the 
evidence  on  the  other  side,  I  am  convinced  that  the  Dr.  is  correct 
that  it  is  not  the  locality  of  our  Lord's  suffering  and  death,  and  that 
the  place  is  now  unknown.  Jerusalem  was  captured  and  destroyed 
by  Nebuchadnezar  about  588  years  B.  C.,  rebuilt  by  Nehemiah 
about  400  B.  C.,and  again  destroyed  by  the  Romans  70  A.  D.,  since 
which  time  its  various  fortunes  have  been  involved  in  those  of 
Pagans,  Mahomedans,  Christians,  Crusaders,  Turks  and  Infidels. 
It  is  now  under  the  control  of  the  Turkish  government.  The 
history  of  the  city  and  country  in  the  wars  of  Syria  and  Egypt  for 
the  three  centuries  preceding  the  birth  of  Christ  are  fully  given  in 
my  history  of  the  Kingdom  of  Brass. 

Jerusalem  contains  about  20, 000  inhabitants,  Christians,  Jews  and 
Mahometans.  Although  there  are  ruins  of  many  ancient  unoccu- 
pied buildings,  there  is  probably  little  or  nothing  remaining  which 
existed  in  the  time  of  Christ,  except  a  few  large  hewn  stones  that 
inclose  a  court  of  the  Temple  grounds,  the  pool  of  Siloam,  and  a 
small  portion  of  the  western  wall  near  the  Jafier  gate,  where  stand* 


[28] 


the  tower  of  Hippacus.  The  circumference  of  Jerusalem  is  about 
two  and  a  half  miles.  The  cite  of  the  city  is  difficult  of  access,  and 
in  modern  times  would  be  a  most  unfavorable  location,  but  in 
ancient  times  the  great  object  in  selecting  a  locality  was  a  point 
among  rocks  and  precipices,  inaccessible  and  very  easy  of  defense 
against  an  invading  foe.  Now,  safety  and  prosperity  depends  upon 
treaty,  civilization  and  the  interests  of  commercial  exchange,  not 
upon  rocks  and  walls.  This  exhibits  an  evidence  of  moral  and 
social  improvements  tending  to  a  universal  fraternity  in  the  family 
of  man. 

Jerusalem  that  was,  is  in  bondage  with  his  children  until  this 
day,  but  the  Jerusalem  that  is  from  above,  is  peace  with  God 
through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  children  of  that  Jerusalem 
are  free.  (Galatians,  4th  ch.  25th,  26th  verses.)* 


The  famous  Mosque  of  Omar  now  occupies  the  site  of  the  once 
sacred  Temple  of  Solomon.  From  its  inclosure,  until  quite  recent- 
ly, both  Christians  and  Jews  were  carefully  excluded.  Some  years 
ago,  Mr.  Catherwood  succeeded  in  disguise  in  gaining  access  to  this 
sacred  edifice.  He  explored  the  basement,  which  he  found  com- 
posed of  large  stone,  which  he  thinks  constituted  the  basement  of 
the  ancient  temple.  At  one  corner  he  discovered  an  arch,  from 

*The  Mount  of  Olives,  near  Jerusalem,  has  been  purchased  by  a 
Madame  Polack,  the  widow  of  a  wealthy  banker,  of  the  Hebrew 
persuasion,  at  Konigsberg,  in  Prussia.  This  lady  intends  to  beauti- 
fy the  place  and  improve  the  whole  place,  at  her  sole  expense. 
The  first  thing  she  has  done  is  to  plant  the  Whole  area  with  a  grove 
of  oiive  trees,  and  thus  to  restore  it  to  the  original  state  from  which 
it  derives  its  name.  The  olive  tree  thrives  well  in  that  locality, 
and  though  it  takes  many  years  before  arriving  at  a  state  of  matu- 
rity, and  sixteen  years  before  bearing  any  fruit  at  all,  it  requires 
but  little  or  no  tending,  and  will  last  for  several  hundred  years. 

At  the  recent  annual  meeting  of  the  British  Society,  the  chair- 
man, Sir  Culling  E.  Eardly,  mentioned  the  fact  that  a  railroad  is 
about  to  be  established  from  the  Mediterranean  to  Jerusalem,  with 
the  sanction  of  the  Turkish  and  British  governments,  and  that  it  is 
likely  that  the  material  of  the  line  from  Balaklava  to  Sebastopool 
will  be  transferred  for  the  purpose. 


which  a  dark  subterraneous  passage  extended  under  the  city.  He 
had  not  the  facilities  to  explore  this  channel  very  far.  Sometime 
in  the  year  1853,  a  sportsmap,  on  the  west  of  Jerusalem,  shot  a  bird, 
which,  flying  near  the  ground,  disappeared  ;  the  hunter's  dog  also 
dropped  out  of  sight;  the  hunter  explored,  and  discovered  a  sub- 
terranean passage,  extending  under  the  city- — it  was  cut  in  the 
solid  rock,  and  the  chips  of  the  quarrying  were  still  lying  in  the 
sides  of  the  passage.  Subsequently  to  this,  Meacie,  a  German,  but 
now  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  explored  more  extensively  this 
secret  channel,  and  found  it  had  many  branches,  leading  to  several 
spacious  apartments,  in  which  he  found  many  relics,  among  others 
the  bones  of  a  camel.  He  thinks  these  excavations  were  made  by 
the  Canaanites,  but  that  they  were  unknown  to  the  Israelites. 
Still  more  recent  research  has  traced  these  channels  to  the  arch 
beneath  the  Mosque  of  Omar.  There  can  now  be  no  doubt  but  that 
these  channels  and  vaults  were  known  to  Solomon,  if,  indeed,  he 
did  not  himself  order  their  construction,  and,  perhaps,  from  this 
source  obtained  materials  for  the  walls  of  the  city  and  the 
temple.  We  may  safely  infer  that  this  secret  passage  from 
the  Temple  to  the  country  was  known  to  the  kings  and  high-priests 
of Judah,  although  a  secret  to  others,  and  that  by  this  way  Zedeki- 
ah  made  his  escape  when  the  city  was  so  closely  beseiged  by  the 
King  of  Babylon. 


NABLOUS. 

From  Jerusalem  to  Sebastee,  the  ancient  Samaria  is  about  thirty 
miles  northward.  Leaving  the  north-west  angle  of  Jerusalem,  our 
route  led  along  a  rugged,  rocky,  barren  way,  for  a  time,  then  de- 
clined into  a  more  fertile  and  better  district.  After  about  two 
hours'  ride,  we  halted  upon  the  hill  side  west  of  the  road  to  rest  a 
few  moments.  This  is  the  supposed  site  of  Gibeon.  From  this 
place  the  Gibeonites  came  forth  to  Jericho  and  Ai,  to  make  a  treaty 
craftily  with  Joshua.  It  was  for  this  treaty  of  peace  that  the  five 
confederated  tribes  of  Canaanites  united  in  war  against  Gibeon. 
Here  came  forth  Joshua  from  Gilgal  to  defend  his  confederates.  At 
our  feet  and  west  of  us,  spreads  out  the  Valley  of  Agalon,  where 
was  fought  the  great  battle  of  deliverance,  and  the  wondrous  mira- 
cle was  wrought  in  the  sight  of  Israel,  for  the  sun  stood  still  upon 


[30] 


Gibeon,  and  the  moon  in  the  Valley  of  Agalon.  At  that  time  this 
hill  top  was  crowned  with  a  great  city.  It  was  here  that  the  in- 
hospitable inhabitants  so  roughly  treated  the  Levite  returning  from 
Bethlehem  with  his  wife,  out  of  which  border -ruffian  ism  sprang  a 
war,  that  we  11  nigh  exterminated  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  who  were 
so  unwise  and  unjust  as  to  wink  at  the  atrocity  of  their  brethren- 
Here  was  the  birth-place,  residence  and  royal  court  of  Saul,  the 
son  of  Kish.  The  opposite  of  this  valley  was  probably  the  Mich- 
mash  where  Jonathan  and  his  armor-bearer  went  over  and  discom- 
fit ted  the  Philistines,  while  his  cowardly  father  remained  in  the 
city. 

On  this  hill  side  David  hung  seven  of  the  descendants  of  Saul,  to 
pacify  the  Gibeonites.  It  was  near  the  pool  of  this  city  where  the 
twelve  servants  of  David,  under  pretence  of  play,  caught  and  slew 
the  twelve  servants  of  Ishbosheth,  followed  by  the  assassination  of 
Asahed  and  Abner.  It  was  on  this  hill  side  that  the  Lord  first 
appeared  to  Solomon.  This  city  stood  in  the  northern  extremity 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin. 

Leaving  this  locality,  so  full  of  interesting  associations,  we 
hastened  on,  and  passed  the  site  of  Bethhoron,  the  upper  and  the 
lower.  Through  the  valley  of  Ajalon,  and  near  the  pool  of  this 
city,  ran  anciently  the  great  thoroughfare  from  Jerusalem  to  the 
sea,  which,  though  more  circuitous,  here  finds  an  easier  path 
through  the  mountains  into  the  valley  of  the  Sharon,  and  thus  to 
the  sea  coast.  Pursuing  our  way  we  passed  many  little  villages 
and  numerous  ruins,  filled  with  jackalls,  and  occasionally  passing 
barren,  sterile  regions,  and  yet  at  times  faHing  into  green  and 
beautiful  valleys,  aboun  ding  in  water-springs,  we  at  length  halted 
at 

THE  WELL  OF  SAMARIA. 

This  is  the  parcel  of  ground  said  to  be  given  by  Jacob  to  his  son 
Joseph.  The  evidence  of  that  gift  seems  to  be  but  imperfectly 
recorded ;  the  few  facts  seem  to  be  these :  here  dwelt  Shechera,  son 
of  King  Homer,  who,  with  his  father,  his  brethren  and  his  people, 
were  slain  in  consequence  of  the  affair  with  Dinah.  Here  came  the 
boy  Joseph,  to  hunt  for  his  brethren,  who  kept  their  sheep  in  this 
vicinity.  From-  the  city  of  Sychar,  now  Nablous,  once  came  a 
woman  to  draw  water.  Here  she  met  the  Divine  Master.  Here 
He  poured  forth  that  water  of  eternal  life,  of  which,  if  one  drink> 
he  shall  never  thirst. 


[31] 


Mount  Ebal  and  Mount  G-erizim  lift  their  high  heads  in  full  view. 
Upon  the  top  of  the  latter  stood  the  pagan  temple,  erected  one 
hundred  years  B.  C.  and  dedicated  to  Antiochus  Epiphanese. 

Here  the  Samaritans  assembled  for  worship,  while  the  Jews  say 
that  at  Jerusalem  alone  ought  men  to  worship  God. 

The  Master  now  taught  that  the  place  is  not  on  this  mountain^ 
nor  at  Jerusalem,  but  in  spirit,  for  God  is  a  Spirit,  and  they  that 
worship  Him  must  worship  Him,  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

This  well  is  inclosed  with  a  broken  wall,  and  surrounded  with 
shrubbery.  It  is  nearly  ten  feet  in  diameter,  and  about  an  hundred 
feet  deep.  Its  mouth  is  partially  covered  with  slabs  of  stone ;  the 
water  is  not  now  used.  The  hills  in  the  vicinity  abound  in  springs 
and  supplies  of  water.  When,  or  by  whom  this  well  was  dug,  is 
quite  uncertain.  Tradition  refers  it  to  Jacob,  but  the  old  Testa- 
ment gives  no  evidence  that  he  constructed  it.  It  was  probably 
built  within  a  city  of  Sechem,  by  the  Amorites,  before  Jacob's  day. 

From  Jacob's  Well  we  moved  westward  along  a  gradually  ascend- 
ing valley,  exceedingly  rich  and  beautiful,  adorned  with  a  great 
profusion  of  fields  and  gardens,  while  the  lower  sides  of  the  hills 
are  crowned  with  groves  of  vines,  pomegranites,  mulberry  and 
olive.  The  fertility  of  this  valley  is  probably  unsurpassed  in  any 
part  of  Palestine.  The  loveliness  and  attractiveness  of  the  scene  is 
greatly  heightened  by  contrast  with  the  ragged,  sterile  mountain 
tops  that  overhang  this  garden  of  paradise.  Leaving  Nablous,  the 
ancient  city  of  Sychar,  on  our  right;  we  continued  to  ascend  the 
valley,  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  Ebal.  Directly  in  front  of  us, 
on  the  east,  by  south,  rose  East  Gerizim.  These  two  mountains 
rise  to  the  height  of  one  thousand  feet  above  the  valley,  and  two 
thousand  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea. 

How  exceedingly  interesting  the  events  that  transpire  here.  In 
this  valley,  led  by  Joshua,  the  whole  host  of  Israel  encamped.  On 
this  spot  an  altar  of  stone  was  erected,  and  covered  with  plaster, 
upon  which  was  written  the  laws  and  commandments  of  Moses. 

The  tribes  divide — six  of  them  ascend  the  sides  of  Girizim  on  the 
south-east,  emblem  of  the  source  of  light,  while  the  other  six  climb 
the  dizzy  heights  of  Ebalin,  the  north-west,  the  token  of  darkness 
and  death.  The  law  of  Moses  is  read  unto  them.  And  as  the 
blessings  upon  the  faithful  are  pronounced,  the  voice  of  the  Eastern 
tribes  echo  through  the  valley,  and  re-echo  from  Ebal's  height, 


[32] 


saying,  ""We  will  serve  the  Lord — all  these  things  we  will  do." 
Then  the  curses  are  read,  and  Ebal  responds  to  Gerizim,  "Even  so 
let  it  he.  All  these  woes  be  ours  if  we  keep  not  the  law  of  our  God." 
For  this  reason  one  of  these  mountains  has  been  called  the  Mount 
of  Blessings,  and  the  other  the  Mount  of  Cursings. 

How  terribly  has  the  obedience  and  its  attendant  blessings  been 
surpassed  by  the  disobedience  and  calamities  resulting  therefrom, 
which  have  fallen  heavily  upon  the  descendants  of  those  who,  upon 
that  day,  stood  on  these  mountain  sides. 

Upon  the  top  of  Mount  Gerizim  stood  Gothem,  when  with  a  loud 
voice,  he  hailed  the  men  of  Shechem,  in  this  valle}T,  and  gave  them 
the  parable  of  the  trees,  holding  a  consultation  for  the  election  of  a 
king.  In  this  valley  of  Shechem  before  me,  occurred  the  wars  be- 
tween Alimeleck  and  the  men  of  Shechem. 

Nablous  is  a  town  of  about  six  thousand  inhabitants.  They  are 
the  most  robber-like  and  ungovernable  people  in  all  Palestine.  "We 
avoided  the  inhabitants  and  did  not  enter  the  town.  Its  name  is 
the  Arabic  of  Neapolis,  one  of  the  titles  of  Yespatian,  the  father  of 
Titus,  who  destroyed  Jerusalem  in  the  year  seventy.  In  a  Samari- 
tan synagogue  is  a  copy  of  the  pentateuch,  which  tradition  asserts 
to  be  as  old  as  the  day  of  Moses.  As  we  did  not  see  this  manu- 
script, I  will  give  a  description  from  another  writer  : 

It  proved  to  be  a  large  roll,  kept  in  a  brass  cover,  and  adorned 
with  various  costly  coverings  of  crimson  silk,  and  embroidered  in 
letters  of  gold.  We  examined  the  manuscript  with  all  the  care  we 
could,  and  noticed,  besides  its  antiquity,  that  it  was  written  in 
columns  of  about  five,  by  fourteen  inches,  and  three  of  these  to 
what  may  be  termed  a  page. 

We  were  permitted  to  touch  the  valuable  manuscript,  to  look  as 
closely  as  we  chose  at  the  various  peculiarities  it  possesses— the 
color  of  the  ink,  the  size,  shape,  and  character  of  the  alphabet,  the 
arrangement  of  the  words  and  sentences,  &c.,  and,  in  short,  to  enter 
upon  any  examination  which  our  time  or  our  wishes  allowed  us. 
The  old  rabbi  was  very  obliging  in  every  way,  and  in  answer  to 
our  inquiries  as  to  the  probable  age  of  the  manuscript  before  us, 
did  not  scruple  to  declare  that  it  belonged  to  the  period  of  Moses. 

This  was  more  than  we  could  credit,  though  we  entertained  no 
sort  of  doubt  that  the  Samaritan  Pentateuch  is  of  an  age  that  en- 
titles it  to  the  very  great  consideration  of  JBiblical  questions. 


[33] 


MOUNT    TABOE. 

The  modern  name  of  this  mountain  is  Gibelet  Tor.  It  stands  on 
the  north  side  of  the  plain,  and  north-west  of  little  Hermon.  It 
is  in  a  conical  form,  and  rises  gracefully  to  the  giddy  height  (un- 
estimated  by  some)  of  three  thousand  feet.  Its  sides  are  adorned 
with  vegetation  and  groves  of  fruit  trees,  but  the  mountain  now 
is  entirely  uninhabited  by  human  beings.  The  summit  is  crowned 
with  the  remains  of  strong  fortifications;  for  Tabor,  in  her  time, 
has  been  a  great  military  fortress,  and  upon  and  arouud  it  has  been 
fought  many  a  battle. 

Now,  no  voice  of  trumpet,  nor  clash  of  arms,  nor  tread  of  hos- 
tile force,  breaks  the  solitude  of  this  retired  spot.  From  its  sum- 
mit we  have  perhaps  the  grandest  prospect  in  the  world.  Before 
us  lay  the  far  spreading  valley  of  Gezrael,  narrowing  away  to  the 
north-west. 

On  the  opposite  side,  the  broken  ridges  of  Gilboa  and  the  moun- 
tains of  Ephraim,  almost  to  Jerusalem,  could  be  seen.  In  the 
north-west,  we  could  distinctly  discern  the  bald  head  of  Carmel, 
standing  sentry  at  the  sea.  North  of  us,  range  upon  range  stretch- 
ed away  to  the  Lebanon,  with  its  snow-capped  peaks.  Eastward 
lay  the  Jordan  and  the  little  hills  before  us,  and  beyond  it  the 
ranges  of  Gilead.  In  the  north-east,  distinctly  visible,  lay  the  sea 
of  Tiberius,  and  not  far  from  us  stood  the  little  Hermon,  famous  for 
its  sweet  and  refreshing  dews. 

Each  of  the  objects  before  us  is  the  memento  of  thrilling  histori- 
cal events,  and  as  we  grasp  them  all  from  one  point,  the  entire 
history  of  the  country,  like  the  Kishon  at  our  feet,  seems  to  pass  in 
panoramic  view  before  us;  and  Tabor,  called  by  the  natives  Gebelet 
Tor,  is  not  the  least  important  among  them.  Here  Barak,  encouraged 
by  the  presence  of  the  prophetess  Deborah,  smote  the  hosts  of  Galin^ 
under  the  command  of  Sisara,  overturned  his  nine  hundred  chariots 
of  iron,  and  scattered  the  hosts  of  his  foes  like  the  forest  leaves  before 
the  winter's  blas€.  From  this  mountain  side  Sisara  fled  on  foot, 
and,  being  decoyed,  was  slain  by  the  woman  Gail,  the  wife  of  the 
Kenite,  for  whose  defeat  and  assassination  Deborah  and  Barak  sung 
a  song  of  triumph.  Upon  this  Mount,  of  whose  glory  and  beauty 
David  has  sung,  other  scenes  than  these  have  transpired. 

Somewhere  upon  this  mountain-top  our  Lord  and  Master  unfold- 
ed the  glory  of  His  spiritual  nature  in  the  transfiguration,  to  tho 
—5 


amazement  of  the  chosen  three,  when  his  garments  became  white 
as  no  fuller  on  earth  could  white  them,  and  his  face  shone  with  the 
radiance  of  the  sun. 

The  plain  below  us  has  been  the  battle  field  of  all  ages  and  races. 
Here  Saul  and  Jonathan  contended  with  the  Philistines.  Here  the 
Jews,  under  Judas  Macabus,  strove  against  their  persecutors.  Here, 
oft  did  the  Eomans  fight  against  both  Jews  and  Syrians.  Here,  in 
later  times,  the  gallant  Kleber  and  Napoleon  defeated  the  vastly 
superior  forces  of  the  great  Turkish  army. 

Dr.  Clark  thus  speaks  of  this  great  battle-field  : 

"  It  has  been  a  chosen  place  for  encampment  in  every  contest 
carried  on  in  this  country,  from  the  days  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  King 
of  Asyria,  (in  the  history  of  whose  war  with  Arphaxed  it  is  men- 
tioned as  the  great  plain  of  Esdulom,)  until  the  disastrous  march  of 
Napoleon  Bonaparte  from  Egypt  into  Syria. 

Jews,  Gentiles,  Saracens,  Christian  Crusaders,  and  Anti-Christian, 
Frenchmen,  Egyptians,  Persians,  Druses,  Turks  and  Arabs,  war- 
riors of  every  nation  that  is  under  heaven,  have  pitched  their  tents 
upon  the  plain  of  Esdulom,  and  have  beheld  the  various  banners  of 
their  nations  wet  with  the  dews  of  Tabor  and  Hermon."  Well 
might  Armaggeddon  become  the  representative  of  all  future  strifes, 
and  battle  to  the  end  of  time. 

GALILEE. 

Bidding  adieu  to  the  vale  of  Gezrael,  about  twelve  miles,  or  four 
hours'  ride  over  hills  and  dales,  rich  in  associations  of  historical 
events  of  the  early  conflicts  and  the  Crusade  wars,  we  issue  out  of 
the  mountains  into  the  basin  of  the  Galilee,  and  repaired  to  the 
town  of  Tiberius,  now  Tuberich,  on  the  shore  of  the  sea.  In  1837, 
the  town  was  nearly  destroyed  by  an  earthquake.  It  now  contains 
little  of  interest,  except  the  recollection  of  what  has  anciently  been 
performed  here  and  in  the  vicinity,  so  long  the  residence  and  so 
often  the  visiting  place  of  the  Lord. 

The  sea  of  Galilee,  also  called  Tiberius,  is  a  sheet  of  water  varying 
from  five  to  ten  miles  wide,  and,  perhaps,  eighteen  feet  long,  of 
an  irregular  oval  shape.  It  is  supplied  by  the  Jordan,  which,  rising 
far  in  the  mountains  in  the  north,  and  passing  through  Lake 
Merome,  discharges  into  this  sea,  and,  running  directly  through  it, 
issues  out  on  the  south,  and  continues  its  course  to  the  Dead  Sea. 
The  interval,  or  level  land  around  this  sea,  is  but  a  narrow  strip, 


[35] 


the  mountains  often  projecting  quite  to  the  water's  edge.  The 
cities  that  anciently  adorned  this  region  were,  chiefly  Capernaum, 
Chorasin,  Bethsaida,  and  Tiberius,  while  Nazareth  was  situated  a 
little  in  the  rear  among  the  mountains. 

On  the  east  of  the  sea,  we  behold  a  broken  country,  through 
whose  passes  ran  the  caravan  route,  extending  to  Damascus,  in 
Syria.  From  thence  came  the  mighty  armies  of  Benhadad  and 
Hazael,  and  afterwards  of  Shallmenesser,  Senacherib  and  Nebu- 
^hadnezzar,  to  invade  and  desolate  Israel  and  Judah. 

THE  YALLEY  OE  THE  JORDAN. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  geological  portions  of  the 
earth.  The  general  course  of  the  river  is  directly  southward,  re- 
ceiving small  tributaries  from  the  west,  and  occasionally  larger  ones 
from  the  east. 

At  times  the  river  flows  gently  along,  spreads  out  wide,  and  is 
fordable  at  least  during  a  portion  of  the  year ;  at  other  places  it  is 
at  least  from  a  hundred  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet  wide,  with  a 
deep,  swift  current,  sweeping  everything  before  it;  occasionally 
descending  cataracts. 

On  the  west  are  the  mountains  of  Israel  and  Judah.  On 
the  east  are  the  ranges  of  Gilead,  and  the  ruins  of  ancient 
cities.  Here  was  the  scene  of  Absolem's  death.  Here  was  the 
Eaimoth  Gilead,  at  whose  siege  Ahab  received  his  mortal 
wound.  Gilgal  and  the  quarries  are  in  this  valley.  Jericho  and 
Ai  are  in  the  south  part  of  it,  separated  from  Jerusalem  by  the 
mountains  of  the  wilderness,  distinguished  for  being  the  haunt  of 
robbers,  and  thus  appropriately  furnishing  the  theme  for  our  Lord's 
parable  of  a  man  going  from  Jerusalem  down  to  Jericho  and  falling 
among  thieves  and  robbers.  According  to  the  observation  of  Col. 
Lynch,  the  Dead  Sea  lies  4000  feet  below  Jerusalem,  and  1300  feet 
below  the  Mediterranean,  and  is,  consequently,  the  lowest  spot  on 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  water  contains  sulphur  and  other  salts, 
held  in  solution.  All  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  flowing  into  thia 
sea  are  disposed  of  by  evaporation,  and  return  in  the  clouds  to  sup- 
ply the  springs  and  fountains.  Had  the  Jordan  continued  its  course 
in  the  same  direction,  it  would  have  terminated  in  the  east  arm  of 
the  Eed  Sea,  and  thus  become  connected  with  the  ocean.  But  the 
mountains  of  Edom  are  elevated  between,  and  prevent  the  stream 
from  flowing  further. 


[36] 


There  is  a  most  remarkable  valley  called  by  the  Arabs,  Algor, 
extending  in  a  direct  line  from  the  Dead  Sea  to  the  Eed  Sea,  more 
than  two-thirds  of  the  way. 

From  a  short  distance  a  small  stream  now  runs  northward  into 
the  Dead  Sea ;  but  Algor  has  unmistakable  evidences  of  being  the 
deserted  channel  of  a  large  stream,  whose  waters  once  flowed  south- 
ward. 

The  mountains  of  Bdom  are  evidently  of  a  volcanic  and  eruptive 
origin.  Connecting  these  facts  together,  and  associating  them  to- 
gether with  the  account  of  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and  Gomorah, 
and  the  cities  of  the  plain,  I  cannot  resist  the  conclusion  that  the 
Jordan  once  found  its  way  through  northern  Arabia  to  the  sea,  and 
that  on  the  day  when  Lot  went  out  of  Sodom,  while  the  Lord  rained 
fire  and  brimstone  on  the  devoted  cities,  there  was  a  great  earth- 
quake connected  with  a  volcanic  eruption,  in  which  the  earth  typed, 
the  mountains  of  northern  Arabia  were  heaped  up  to  their  present 
elevation,  carrying  up  the  bed  of  the  stream  with  them,  while  the 
plains  above  descended  to  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea.  This  would 
account  for  the  ancient  fertility  and  subsequent  barrenness  of 
Arabia  Petra. 

SYRIA. 

This  country  is  believed  to  have  been  first  peopled  by  the  descend- 
ants of  Aram  the  fifth,  and  youngest  son  of  Shem,  but  the  original 
occupants  of  the  soil  were  removed  and  their  places  supplied  by 
Assyrians  in  the  time  of  Shalmanaser.  Syria  proper  lies  between 
the  north  part  of  the  Mediterranian  sea  on  the  west  and  the  Euphra- 
tus,  on  the  east,  between  the  mountain. chain  of  Taums  and  Amanus 
on  the  north,  and  Arabia  Palestine  and  Prenicia  on  the  south  and 
south-west.  Its  length  from  North  to  South  was  about  three  hun- 
dred miles,  and,  from  East  to  West,  about  a  hundred  and  eighty 
miles;  in  all  not  quite  as  large  as  the  State  of  New  York,  but  a 
much  more  extensive  country,  all  its  borders  were  sometimes  in- 

NOTE. — From  a  geographical  necessity,  all  flowing  streams  must 
terminate  ultimately  in  water  containing  salt  or  other  saline  mat- 
ter, whether  it  be  the  ocean  or  an  island  sea  or  lake. 

NOTE  2. — The  Dead  Sea  is,  in  many  respects,  situated  similarly 
with  that  of  Salt  Lake,  on  this  continent.  Both  are  cut  off  from 
communication  with  other  waters;  both  have  mountains  on  the 
west,  between  them  and  the  great  sea,  not  far  distant. 


[37] 


eluded  in  the  general  name  Syria.  This  country  seems  at  times 
to  have  been  formed  of  four  confederate  States,  Hobah,  Hamoth, 
Damascus  and  G-eshur,  at  other  times  all  were  blended  into  one 
government  until  it  was  finally  absorbed  into  the  great  Assyrian 
Empire,  about  the  same  time  that  Samaria  ceased  to  be  a  king- 
dom. 

The  most  important  cities  of  Syria  were  Damascus,  Antioc 
Aphonia,  Sebucia  and  Helbon.  About  the  time  of  Solomon,  king 
of  Israel,  Syria  must  have  shared  largely  in  the  commerce  of  that 
day  and  abounded  in  riches.  The  most  remarkable  ruins  in  Syria 
are  Palmyra  or  Tadmore  in  the  wilderness,  and  Balbeck  between 
Lebanon  and  ante  Lebanon. 


DAMASCUS   EL    SHAM. 

After  days  of  wearisome  travel  from  Galilee  and  the  Jordan  in 
a  north-easterly  direction,  over  an  uneven  route,  diversified  by 
barren  wastes,  and  fertile  plains,  variegated  hills  and  fruitful 
groves,  through  Syrian  villages  and  Arab  encampments,  we  ascend- 
ed a  little  swell  of  ground,  and  halting  in  the  shade  of  an  orchard 
of  figs,  our  eyes  were  greeted  with  a  view  of  Damascus,  the  city  of 
beauty,  which  we  soon  after  entered  by  the  south  gate.  What 
solemn  thoughts  crowd  upon  one's  mind  as  he  approaches  the  cap- 
ital of  ancient  Syria.  It  was  to  this  city  Saul  was  journeying, 
when  a  light,  far  surpassing  the  brightness  of  the  sun,  surprised 
him,  and  for  a  time  arrested  his  progress,  until  the  object  of  his 
visit  was  changed  from  one  of  cruel  persecution  to  a  desire  to  be 
restored  to  his  sight,  that  he  might  preach  Jesus  whom  before  he 
persecuted.  It  was  from  this  city  that  afterwards  he  escaped 
through  a  window  by  being  let  down  the  wall  in  a  basket,  the  gate 
being  guarded  to  apprehend  him.  Damascus  was  a  city  in  the  days 
of  Abraham — it  had  been  subject  to  Talmmath,  bat  it  became  the 
capital  of  a  separate  kingdom  in  the  time  of  David.  It  was  de- 
molished in  the  time  of  Tiglathpillasser  according  to  the  prophesy 
of  Isaiah,  but  revived  again  under  the  Babylonian  authority.  It 


[38] 


was  at  one  time  the  store-house  of  the  Persians.  Their  treasures, 
with  the  city,  were  captured  by  Alexander  of  Macedon.  Their 
successors  built  Appanna  and  Antioch,  and  thus  diminished  some- 
what of  the  prosperity  of  Damascus.  Yet  it  is  so  favorably  situ- 
ated for  the  great  caravan  trade,  that  it  has  continued  to  flourish 
and  is  still  prosperous. 

Below  the  city  is  still  to  be  seen  a  part  of  the  most  ancient  wall, 
evincing  that  Damascus  was  once  much  larger  than  at  present. 
The  modern  wall  does  not  enclose  all  of  the  inhabitants,  but  many 
splendid  buildings  are  without  the  enclosure.  The  streets  of  Da- 
mascus are  often  narrow  and  muddy.  The  walls  of  the  buildings, 
though  often  lofty,  are  of  unburnt  brick  and  of  a  dirty  and  uninvit- 
ing appearance.  The  doors  are  low  and  narrow,  but  within  one 
often  finds  splendid  apartments,  where  every  luxury  ministers  to 
the  sense,  and  intoxicates  with  excess  of  pleasure. 

The  Syrian  name  of  this  city  is  El  Sham,  but  by  the  Arabs  it  is 
called  Demeesk,  the  terminating  syllable  being  added  by  the  western 
natives.  The  following,  from  an  unknown  author,  is  substantially  a 
correct  history  and  description  of  the  ancient  home  of  the  Benha- 
dads.  "The  city  of  Damascus  we  find  mentioned  in  Gen.,  15  chap., 
2d  verse,  as  the  place  of  Abram's  Steward,  Elitha;  and  it  must  have 
been,  therefore,  one  of  the  earliest  cities  in  the  world,  and  is  one  of 
the  very  few,  that  with  the  exception  of  a  short  period  of  Assyrian 
domination,  have  maintained  a  flourishing  existence  in  all  ages.  It  is 
situated  in  east  longitude,  36  deg.  25  min.,  and  north  latitude 
33  deg.  27  min.;  on  the  north-west  of  an  extensive  and  remarkably 
level  plain,  which  is  open  eastward  beyond  the  reach  of  vision, 
but  is  bounded  in  every  other  direction  by  mountains,  the  nearest 
of  which,  those  of  Salekie  to  the  north-west,  are  not  quiet  two 
miles  from  the  city. 

These  hills  give  rise  to  the  River  Banacly,  and  to  various  rivulets 
which  afford  the  city  an  abundant  supply  of  water,  and  render 
its  district  one  of  the  most  pleasant  and  fertile  of  western  Asia. 
The  district  within  a  circumference  of  from  twenty  to  twenty -five 
miles,  is  covered  with  well  watered  gardens  and  orchards,  in  the 
midst  of  which  stands  the  town  itself." 

It  thus  appears  as  a  vast  wood,  and  its  almost  innumerable  pub- 
lic buildings,  including  an  extensive  citadel  and  a  vast  number  of 
mosques,  with  their  domes  and  minarets,  give  it  a  fine  appearance, 
as  viewed  from  the  neighboring  hills;  but  on  approaching  over  the 


[39] 


level  plain,  the  plantations  by  which  it  is  environed,  shade  it  entire- 
ly from  view. 

Its  finest  building  is  a  grand  mosque  of  the  Corinthian  order, 
said  to  have  been  built  as  a  cathedral  church  by  the  emperor  Tele- 
machus.  It  was  dedicated  to  St.  John  of  Damascus,  and  is  still 
called  the  mosque  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  by  the  Turks,  who  be- 
lieve that  in  the  latter  days  Jesus  shall  descend  thereon,  and  from 
its  summit  require  the  adhesion  of  all  his  followers  to  the  Moslem 
faith.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  an  old  wall  of  sun-dried  brick? 
strengthened  with  towers;  but  this  wall  has  fallen  to  decay,  and 
the  town  has  so  greatly  extended  beyond  its  limits,  that  the  num- 
ber of  houses  without  the  wall  greatly  exceeds  that  within.  The 
houses  in  the  city  have  flat  roofs,  while  those  in  the  suburbs  have 
domes.  Damascus  is  said  to  contain  five  hundred  mansions,  en- 
titled to  be  called  palaces,  and  the  general  splendor  is  much  extoll- 
ed in  the  east. 

But  little  of  this  is  visible  in  the  streets,  which,  in  general,  pre- 
sent walls  of  mud  or  sun-dried  brick,  which  fill  the  narrow  streets 
with  dust  in  dry  weather,  and  render  them  perfect  quagmires  when 
it  rains.  The  houses  themselves  are  built  of  the  same  materials, 
although  stone  might  be  easily  obtained  from  the  adjoining  moun- 
tains. 

These  streets  present  scarcely  any  windows,  and  only  low  an^ 
mean  looking  doors;  but  these  often  conduct  to  large  interior  courts^ 
paved  with  marble,  refreshed  by  gushing  fountains,  and  surround- 
ed by  apartments  ornamented  and  furnished  in  the  best  and  rich- 
est oriental  taste. 

The  thirsty  Arabs,  from  the  desert,  regard  Damascus  with  rap- 
ture, and  are  never  tired  of  expatiating  on  the  freshness  and  ver- 
dure of  its  orchards,  the  variety  of  its  fruits,  and,  more  than  all,  its 
numerous  streams,  and  the  clearness  of  its  rills  and  fountains. 
There  is  a  tradition,  that  Mahomet,  coming  to  the  city,  viewed  it 
with  great  admiration  from  the  mountain  Salhie,  and  then  turned 
away,  refusing  to  approach,  with  the  remark  that  there  was  but 
one  paradise  designed  for  man,  and  he  was  determined  that  his 
should  not  be  in  this  world;  but  there  is  no  historical  foundation 
for  this  story.  Damascus  is  about  six  miles  in  circumference,  and 
its  population  is  estimated,  by  Mr.  Buckingham,  at  143,000,  of 
which  90,000  are  native  Syrian  Arabs,  10,000  Turks,  15,000  Jews, 
and  25,000  Christians.  But  Mr.  Kichardson  does  not  estimate  the 


[40] 


Christian  population  at  more  than  12,000.  Damascus  is  the  rendez- 
vous of  many  thousand  pilgrims,  who  proceed  to  Mecca  in  one 
great  body  every  year,  and  many  of  whom  make  a  considerable 
stay  before  the  caravan  departs,  and  most  of  whom  unite  commer- 
cial with  religious  objects,  loading  their  beasts  with  the  produce  of 
their  own  countries,  which  they  dispose  of  on  the  road,  bringing 
back,  in  the  same  manner,  the  products  of  India,  received  from 
Jeddo,  the  port  of  Mecca.  This  has  contributed  greatly  to  the  pros- 
perity of  Damascus,  which  is,  also,  the  emporium  of  an  extensive 
caravan  trade  with  parts  of  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west,  and 
with  Bagdad  on  the  east.  Damascus  has  obtained  fame  for  some 
of  its  manufactures.  The  fine  temper  of  its  sword-blades  has  long 
been  proverbial.  This  reputation  has,  however,  of  late  years  much 
declined;  but  the  Damascans  still  excel  in  the  art  of  inlaying  metals 
with  gold.  The  manufacture  of  the  kind  of  silk  called  "Damask" 
originated  here. 

It  would  seem  from  the  1st  Kings,  xi:  23d  and  24th,  that  Damas- 
cus first  became  in  the  time  of  David  or  Solomon,  the  capitol  of  an 
independent  kingdom,  which  afterwards,  as  the  "kingdom  of  Syria," 
was  engaged  in  various  wars  with  the  Jews. 

It  was  ultimately  annexed  to  the  empire  of  Assyria,  and  after- 
wards with  the  rest  of  western  Asia,  passed  to  the  Greeks,  then  to 
the  Eomans,  and  at  last  to  the  Arabians,  under  whom  Damascus 
became  the  capitol  of  the  Caliphate,  when  Moamiyah,  its  governor, 
assumed  that  office  in  opposition  to  Ali.  It  underwent  many 
changes  during  the  disorder  of  the  middle  ages,  and  was  finally 
conquered,  along  with  all  Syria,  by  the  Sultan  Selim.  In  the  late 
war  between  the  Porte  and  the  Pacha  of  Egypt,  Damascus  was 
taken  by  the  troops  of  the  latter,  under  his  son  Ibrahim  Pacha, 
and  it  still  remains  subject  to  his  authority,  having  been  ceded  to 
him  by  the  treaty  of  peace,  in  1833. 

The  inhabitants  of  Damascus  have  the  reputation  of  being  the 
most  haughty  and  intolerent  people  of  Turkey;  but  the  measures 
of  Mahomet  Ali,  have  already  tended  greatly  to  subdue,  or  control, 
their  former  spirit. 

APPAMA  AND  SELETJCIA, 

On  the  west  coast  of  Syria,  and  north  of  Phoenicia,  were  built  by 
the  Selucidso,  between  250  and  150  B.  C. 


[41] 


HEBRON, 

Famous  for  its  wine  and  wool,  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  sit*  of 
the  modern  city  of  Aleppo. 

ANTIOCH. 

In  the  army  of  Alexander  the  Great,  was  a  general  by  the  name 
of  Antiochus.     He  had  a  son  whose  name  was  Seleucus,  sometimes 
called  Nicator,  the  conqueror.     In  the  army  of  the  great  Macedo- 
nian, this  Seleucus  had  the  command   of  all  the  elephants.     After 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  rose  to  distinction,  and,  in  the  partition 
of  Alexander's  empire,  he  became  king  of  Syria.     In  honor  of  his 
father  he  built  a  city,  calling  it,  after  his  name,  Antioch.     Others 
afterwards  added  something  to  the  original  city,  until  it  became 
for  beauty  and  splendor,  the  third  city  of  the  world.     The  capitol 
was  removed  from  Damascus,  by  its  founder,  and  established  in  this 
city,  where  it  remained  many  generations^     Of  the  several  kings, 
who  reigned  in  this  city,  an  account  will  be  given  in  the  history  of 
Alexander  and  his  successors.     Antioch  was  situated  in  the  north- 
west part  of  Syria,  on  the  Orontes  river,  about  twenty  miles  from 
its  mouth,  and  about  five  miles  above  the  famous  Daphne.     It  was 
founded  about  290  B.  C.     In  1735,  A.D.,  it  suffered  severely  from 
the  shock  of  an  earthquake,  and  is  now  in  a  state  of  desolation. 
Antioch  was  situated  among  the  mountains,  and   the   scenery  is 
grand  in  the  extreme  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city.     Here 
the  disciples  were  first  called  Christians. 

Daphne  was  a  grove  of  cypress  and  bay  trees,  surrounding  a 
number  of  sparkling  fountains.  In  and  around  this  grove  were 
splendid  edifices,  and,  among  others,  a  temple  of  Apollo  and  Diana. 
Daphne  was  the  great  pleasurable  resort  of  the  grandies  of  Syria,  in 
olden  times. 

The  temple  is  now  in  ruins,  and  to  these  rural  gods  none  are  BO 
poor  as  to  do  reverence.  The  worshipers  are  gone,  the  altars  no 
more  smoke  with  incense,  and  their  divinities  are  left  alone  in  their 
glory. 


[42] 


BALBECK. 

With  elated  spirits  our  little  band  of  reserve  bade  adieu  to  Da- 
mascus, the  beautiful,  and,  facing  westward,  commenced  our  jour- 
ney, while  our  thoughts,  outstriping  our  speed,  flew  away  to  our  far 
home,  beyond  the  rolling  sea.  We  followed  up  the  stream  a  short 
distance,  and  then,  bearing  over  to  the  left,  made  our  way  over  a 
hilly  country,  with  intervening  valleys  and  rivulets  of  cool,  refresh- 
ing water. 

Occasionally  we  passed  small  villages,  in  the  midst  of  gardens 
and  groves  of  fruit  trees.  At  night,  having  traveled,  as  we  suppos- 
ed, about  twenty-five  miles,  we  halted,  and  made  our  encampment 
near  a  small  stream,  and  in  sight  of  a  village  containing  a  mosque 
and  convent. 

We  were  strongly  tempted  to  visit  the  convent,  and  throw  our- 
selves upon  its  hospitality,  where  we  should  probably  have  been 
kindly  received,  but  finally 'con  eluded  to  spend  the  night  in  our  own 
tent.  The  camels  were  soon  secured,  and  with  the  broken  limbs  of 
tihe  bay-tree  a  fire  was  soon  kindled,  and  our  evening's  repast  pre- 
pared. A  number  of  men  and  boys,  from  the  village,  visited  us, 
whose  friendly  appearance  gave  us  a  sense  of  security.  From  them 
we  learned  that  the  village  was  called  El  Dous. 

A  guard  was  stationed  for  the  night,  and  soon  most  of  us,  stretch- 
ed upon  our  blankets,  were  in  a  profound  sleep.  At  an  early  hour 
the  next  morning,  we  were  under  way,  and  that  day  crossed  the 
chain  of  Anti-Lebanon.  Our  route  was  almost  entirely  through 
an  uninhabited  region,  except  that  twice  a  traveling  company  of 
Arabs  crossed  our  path.  In  some  places  the  mountains  were  rag- 
ged, barren,  bold  and  picturesque;  large  eagles  were  seen  flying 
from  crag  to  crag,  uttering  their  wild  scream,  which  echoed  through 
the  solitudes  of  those  rough  places  of  creation.  The  second  night, 
we  encamped  on  the  west  of  Anti-Lebanon,  and  in  the  plain  of 
Celo-Syria;  and  on  the  third  day,  bearing  much  more  to  the  north, 
we  approached,  late  in  the  afternoon,  a  bluff  or  rising  ground,  and 
again  encamped  by  the  side  of  a  stream.  Now  we  were  in  the 
midst  of  an  inhabited  and  cultivated  district,  but,  having  become 
quite  accustomed  to  bivouac,  we,  as  usual,  preferred  the  open  air,  as 
the  weather  was  calm  and  mild.  The  next  morning,  we  ascended 
a  gentle  elevation,  and  before  us  stood,  in  bold  relief, 


[43] 


THE  ETJINS  OF  BALBECK.? 

On  this  plain  once  stood  a  city,  called  by  the  native  inhabitants 
Balbeck,  which  may  signify  the  city  of  the  Lord,  (Baal,)  or  the  city 
of  the  Sun.  By  the  Greeks  it  was  called  Tlehopolis,  which  also 
signifies  the  city  of  the  Sun.  It  is  probable  that,  among  others, 
the  sun  was  the  principal  deity  worshiped  here;  hence  the  name 
of  the  city  and  temple.  There  are  no  inhabitants  on  the  exact 
site  of  the  ancient  city,  but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  is  a  village; 
here,  also,  is  a  mosque  and  a  convent,  where  bigoted  devotees  per- 
form their  senseless  devotions. 

The  remains  of  three  temples  are  still  to  be  seen  among  the  ruins, 
two  of  which  are  of  Grecian  architecture,  and  were  undoubtedly 
erected  after  the  time  of  the  Grecian  invasion  in  the  east.  They 
are  far  gone  to  decay.  The  mQst  splendid  ruin,  at  Balbeck,  is  the 
old  temple  which  .bears  the  name  of  the  city. 

The  edifice  was  eight  hundred  feet  long  and  five  hundred  feet 
wide,  and  would  accommodate  many  thousand  worshipers  at  a 
time.  The  roof  was  a  large  flat  stone,  reposing  upon  the  walls,  and 
upon  pillars  in  the  interior.  On  this  roof,  in  time  of  the  crusade 
wars,  stood  twenty  thousand  Turkish  soldiers,  and  successfully  re- 
sisted the  invading  Christians  below.  This  roof,  and  the  beautiful 
lintel  over  the  east  door,  were  broken  and  shattered  by  an  earth- 
quake in  1722.  A  wedge-form  piece  of  the  lintel  still  hangs  sus- 
pended over  the  door.  Part  of  the  wall  of  the  temple  is  composed 
of  hard  sand-stone,  so  perfectly  polished  and  adjusted  to  each  other 
that  it  would  be  difficult  to  insert  a  fine-knife  blade  between  tho 
pieces. 

A  part  of  the  old  wall,  that  once  surrounded  the  city,  still  re- 
mains. Some  writers  suppose  it  was  never  completed.  At  a  quar- 
ry, not  far  distant,  lies  a  huge  stone  lion,  and,  near  it,  another,  in 
an  unfinished  state.  It  is  inferred  that  these  images  were  intended 
to  be  placed  upon  the  corners  of  the  walls  of  the  city — this,  how- 
ever, is  only  conjecture.  In  the  wall  now  standing,  are  three  of 
the  largest  stone' ever  known  to  have  been  used  in  building.  They 
repose  indirectly  one  upon  the  other,  and  are  severally  ten  feet  in 
horizontal  diameter,  fourteen  feet  in  perpendicular  height,  and 
sixty-eight  feet  in  length.  By  what  mighty  power  they  were  ever 
placed  in  their  present  condition,  is  more  than  I  can  conjecture. 

It  was  in  the  temple  of  Balbeck,  that  I  studied  to  advantage  the 
atyle  of  architecture  of  the  days  of  king  Solomon — for  thera  is 


[44] 


no  room  to  doubt  that  this  temple  was  erected  by  order  of  that  mon- 
arch, and  that  Balbeck  was  Balwiatte  of  the  Bible. 

On  the  caps  and  pillars,  in  the  adornings  of  cornices,  and  on  lin» 
tels  of  doors,  in  the  solid  stone,  are  carved  lilys,  whose  expanded 
petals  are  often  a  foot  or  eighteen  inches  in  length,  wrought  with 
exquisite  skill;  the  cap  of  the  pillars,  also,  are  wrought  pomegran- 
ates, similar  to  those  noticed  in  Tadmore,  and  described  in  another 
article.  In-wrought  and  binding,  the  whole  is  a  carved  net-work. 

These  three  elements  of  the  work  of  Solomon — the  lily,  the  pome- 
granate, and  the  net-work — abound  at  Balbeck  and  Tadmore,  and 
are  symbols,  whose  signification  belongs  to  the  great  science  of  em- 
blems. The  lily  signifies  peace,  purity,  or  freedom  from  war;  the 
pomegranate  is  the  emblem  of  fruitfulness,  of  plenty;  and  the  net- 
work of  unity  or  brotherly  love.  In  these  temples  there  are  an 
enigma,  whose  meaning  must  be  found  in  the  life  and  times  of  king 
Solomon.  The  holy  temple  at  Jerusalem,  for  the  Israelites — the 
temple  to  Herculese,  in  Tyre,  for  the  Phoenicians — and  the  tem- 
ples of  Balbeck  and  Tadmore,  for  the  Syrians — were  erected,  not 
only  for  religious  worship,  but  to  facilitate  the  commercial  enter- 
prise of  those  times.  By  the  spirit  of  commerce  and  adventure, 
Solomon  and  Hiram  secured  the  co-operation  of  tjie  Syrians,  and 
extended  trade  through  the  world.  The  first  result  of  their  enter- 
prise was  an  universal  peace;  hence  the  Z%,  in  the  temples  of  their 
erecting.  The  second  result  was,  that  all  nations  were  enriched  by 
this  commerce;  and  "Solomon  made  gold  and  silver  to  abound  in 
the  streets  of  Jerusalem,"  hence  the  pomegranate.  To  accomplish 
these  enterprises,  the  Israelites,  under  Solomon,  the  Phcenecians, 
under  Hiram,  and  the  Syrians,  under  .Resin,  were  bound  together 
in  one  bundle  of  fraternal  regard.  The  glory  and  beauty  of  Bal- 
beck fully  justify  the  descriptions  given  by  the  early  authors. 
Arabian  writers  speak  of  Balbeck  as  "the  wonder  of  Syria."  One 
of  them  says: 

"Balbeck  is  a  city  of  three  days'  journey  from  Damascus,  where 
are  wonderful  structures  and  magnificent  vestiges  of  antiquity,  and 
palaces  with  marble  columns,  such  as  in  the  whole  world  are  no- 
where else  to  be  seen." 

Every  one  who  has  seen  the  ruins,  which  here  present  themselves 
to  the  travelers'  eye,  will  not  think  the  Arabian  writer  has  used 
much  exaggeration  in  his  language.  On  the  south-west  of  the  city, 
is  situated  in  a  charming  plain,  on  the  west  foot  of  Anti- 


[45] 


Lebanon,  lie  the  ruins  of  a  very  ancient  temple,  together  with  the 
remains  of  some  other  edifices,  and,  among  the  rest,  a  truly  mag- 
nificent palace.  These  ancient  structures  have  now  been  converted 
into  a  castle  or  fort.  Among  these  ruins  is  a  rotunda,  or  pile  of 
buildings,  surrounded  with  pillars  of  the  Corinthian  order,  which 
support  a  cornice  that  runs  all  around  the  structure — the  whole  ex- 
ecuted in  a  style  of  great  elegance,  but  now  in  a  very  dilapidated 
condition.  It  is  for  the  most  part  of  marble,  and,  though  round  on 
the  outside,  is  an  octagon  within.  It  is  adorned  with  eight  arches, 
supported  by  eight  Corinthian  columns,  each  of  one  single  piece. 
But  the  Greeks,  who  now  live  here,  and  who  use  this  rotunda  as  a 
church,  have  spoiled  the  beauty  of  the  inside,  by  daubing  it  over 
with  plaster.  Leaving  this,  the  visitor  arrives  at  a  large  and  very 
lofty  pile  of  buildings,  which  bear  the  appearance  of  having  been 
added  in  later  times.  Through  this  pile  one  passes  into  a  noble 
iarched  walk,  or  portico,  one  hundred  and  fifty  paces  long,  which 
leads  to  the  temple. 

This  building,  which  has  resisted  no  less  the  corroding  tooth  of 
time,  than  the  destructive  madness  of  superstitious  man,  is  yet  in 
a  good  state  of  preservation.  It  is  an  oblong  square — its  length, 
on  the  outside,  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  feet,  and  its  breadth 
ninety.  The  pronaos  consisted  of  fifty-four  feet,  of  the  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-two,  but  is  now  tumbled  down,  and  the  pillars, 
which  supported  it  are  crumbled  to  pieces.  The  whole  body  of  this 
temple,  as  it  now  stands,  is  surrounded  by  a  noble  portico,  support- 
ed by  pillars,  of  the  Corinthian  order,  six  feet  three  inches  in  dia- 
meter, and  about  fifty-four  feet  in  height,  and  each  of  the  three 
stones  a  piece. 

Their  distance  from  each  other,  and  from  the  walls  of  the  tem- 
ple, is  nine  feet.  There  are  fourteen  of  them  on  each  side  of  the 
temple,  and  eight  at  each  end,  and  containing  the  corner  pillars  in 
each  number.  The  architrave  and  cornice,  which  are  supported  all 
around  by  these  pillars,  are  exquisitely  carved. 


[46] 


HISTOKY    OF    PHOENICIA. 

Now,  let  us  rest  awhile.  Here  we  are  on  Mount  Lebanon.  We 
will  repose  in  this  grove,  and,  like  Omar,  lean  against  a  cedar,  which 
spreads  its  branches  over  our  heads.  Perhaps  this  is  the  grove,  and 
this  the  cedar,  where  the  Hirams,  king  of  Tyre,  and  the  widow's  son, 
rested  themselves,  when  wearied  with  giving  directions  to  the  work- 
men, who  were  here  preparing  timber,  to  send  to  Jerusalem,  for  the 
Temple.  What  a  fine  place  to  .slide  the  timber  down  the  mountain! 
What  a  noble  bay  spreads  out  before  us  to  receive  the  floats,  where 
the  placid  waters  are  ready  to  bear  them  southward  to  Joppa,  from 
thence  to  be  taken  by  land  to  Jerusalem,  the  city  of  Peace.  How 
blest  was  Solomon  in  having  such  a  friend  and  ally,  and  such  a  for- 
est in  which  to  obtain  building  materials!  How  peaceful  those 
times,  not  like  those  that  preceded,  or  that  succeded,  the  three 
great  Master  Masons. 

Before  us  is  spread  out  the  whole  of  that  far-famed  land,  ancient 
Phosnicia.  Its  length  from  north  to  south  is  about  120  miles,  and 
its  breadth  about  20  miles.  Phoenicia  had  four  prominent  cities.  In 
the  extreme  north  on  a  little  island,  stood  ARAB;  about  18  miles  south 
was,  and  still  is,  TRIPOLIS;  still  farther  south  was  BERYTUS  (now 
Beyroot;)  and  yet,  still  farther,  SIDON;  and  at  the  extreme  southern 
point  was  TYRE,  of  great  renown.  Between  these  were  other  small 
cities,  so  that  the  whole  land  was  like  one  continuous  city,  filled 
with  active,  bustling,  living  beings.  Much  of  the  early  history  of 
this,  like  every  other  country,  is  involved  in  uncertainty  and 
fabulous  traditions,  so  much  so  that  it  is  rather  a  matter  of  curiosity 
than  useful  knowledge;  but  out  of  this  confusion,  some  facts  of  re- 
liable history  can  be  gathered.  Along  this  rugged  coast,  now 
spread  out  before  us,  the  blessed  Master  once  walked  and  preached 
the  word,  to  "City  full  and  forest  waste,"  when  he  retired  from  the 
scoffing  Jews.  Matthew  xv:  21. 

The  old  patriarch  Ham,  the  son  of  Noah,  after  the  flood,  with  his 
wife  and  sons,  started  from  the  foot  of  Mount  Ararat  (like  mod- 
ern emigrants  going  to  Oregon)  to  seek  their  fortune.  Cush  went 
to  the  land  of  Havila,  and  from  him  sprang  the  Chaldeans  and  the 
Babylonians.  Mizraim  remained  with  his  father;  Ham  settled  on 
the  banks  of  the  Nile,  but,  by  some  unknown  track,  found  his  way 
to  Ethiopia,  to  scorch  his  skull  in  the  torrid  zone;  while  Cjnaan 
stopped  here,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Lebanon,  to  build  factories,  and 
cities,  and  vessels. 


[4T] 


It  should  seem  that  the  wife  of  Ham  was  of  the  family  of  Cain, 
and  not  Seth.  The  genealogies  of  the  Phoenicians  run  back  to  t:ie 
first  man  through  that  line,  although  they  do  hot  mention  the  flood. 
The  oldest  son  of  Canaan  was  Sidon,  an  enterprising  lad,  who,  in 
his  youth,  loved  to  play  in  the  mud.  He  built  several  mud-houses, 
and  dug  a  trench  around  them,  to  protect  himself  from  his  neigh- 
bors and  the  wild  blasts.  This,  ultimately,  grew  into  the  famous 
city  of  Sidon,  on  the  sea  side.  After  a  time,  Sidon  sent  out  two 
companies  of  emigrants,  one  of  which  planted  Arad,  on  the  north, 
and  the  other  T}Tre,  on  the  south.  From  these  three,  a  colony 
planted  Tripolis,  which  signifies  "from  three  cities." 

Tyre  soon  outstripped  the  others,  and  became  the  great  metro- 
politan city  of  western  Asia.  This  pre-emimence  she  maintained, 
until  the  subjugation  of  all  that  land  by  Alexander  the  Great,  about 
three  hundred  and  thirty  years  before  the  Christian  era. 

On  account  of  power  and  glory — the  amount  of  her  manufactor- 
ies— the  multitude  of  her  colonies — the  extent  of  her  commerce — 
the  bravery  of  her  defence — and  the  terribleress  of  her  fall — 
Tyre  deserves  more  than  a  passing  notice  on  the  page  of  history. 

At  the  southern  point  of  Phoenicia,  the  sea  rounded  up  into  the 
land,  forming  a  beautiful  bay,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  broad.  In 
the  opening  of  this  bay,  toward  the  sea,  was  an  island  about  half  a 
mile  in  diameter,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the  main  land 
on  each  side,  and  a  mile  from  the  land  directly  toward  the  conti- 
nent. Tyre  was  originally  built  upon  the  main  land,  with  the  no- 
ble bay  in  front  of  it.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  high,  strong  wall. 
Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Babylon,  besieged  this  city,  and  after  thir- 
teen years  of  labor  and  toil  he  succeeded  in  taking  the  city,  about 
the  year  580  B.  C.  During  this  long  siege,  the  inhabitants  were 
occupied  in  building  a  wall  and  houses  upon  the  island,  to  which 
they  removed  with  all  the  treasures.  Nebuchadnezzar  gained 
nothing  but  vexation  by  all  this  great  enterprise.  (Consult  Ezekiel 
xxix:  18.) 

It  does  not  appear  that  the  Tyrians  ever  submitted  to  the  govern- 
ment of  the  Babylonians,  although  they  may  have  paid  tribute  for 
the  sake  of  peace.*  All  the  rest  of  Phoenicia  became  part  of  the 
empire  of  the  east,  and,  with  Babylon  itself,  passed  into  the  Persian 
empire,  when  Cyrus  the  Great  came  to  the  throne,  about  536  B.  C.; 

*Tyre  paid  tribute  to  Babylon  and  Persia,  from  580  B.  C.  to  510 
B.C.,  under  Darius,  when  she  became  again  independent. 


[48] 


in  which  condition  they  continued,  either  as  dependent  provinces 
or  confederate  allies,  until  Alexander  over-ran  the  whole  land, 
about  330  before  the  Christian  era. 

The  history  of  Phoenicia  may  be  divided  into  two  parts.  First, 
that  which  preceeded — second,  that  which  succeeded  -the  siege  of 
Old  Tyre  by  Nebuchadnezzar;  or  old  Tyre  and  New  Tyre.  Both 
parts  are  fall  of  interesting  events.  Phoenicia  was  a  confederation 
of  States,  very  much  like  the  United  States,  united  for  all  foreign 
purposes,  but  each  prominent  city  an  independent  State  for  all  in- 
ternal regulations,  governed  usually  by  a  king  instead  of  a  gover- 
nor, who  was,  more  or  less,  controlled  by  a  Council  coresponding 
to  a  modern  State  Legislature.  It  was  under  this  most  happy 
form  of  confederate  government,  that  Phoenicia  maintained  her 
unity  and  independence,  and  rose  to  so  great  prosperity. 

The  events  worthy  of  particular  comment  in  the  early  history  of 
Phoenicia,  before  the  siege,  are:  1.  Sending  letters  and  science  into 
Greece  by  Cadmus,  about  the  time  of  Joshua  in  Israel.  2.  The 
reign  of  Hiram,  the  friend  of  David  and  Solomon,  and  the  building 
of  the  temple.  3.  The  reign  of  Ithobal,  the  father  of  Jezebel,  wife- 
of  Ahab,  in  the  time  of  Elijah,'  the  prophet.  4.  The  flight  of  Dido 
to  Africa,  to  plant  Carthage.  5.  The  reign  of  Ithobal  II,  who  was 
killed  at  the  siege  of  Old  Tyre  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  Each  will  be 
taken  up  in  order. 

There  was  a  king  in  Phoenicia,  whose  name  was  Agenor,  and 
who  had  many  sons  and  daughters.  His  eldest  son's  name  was 
Phoenix,  from  whom  came  the  name  of  the  whole  country  of  Europa. 
The  daughter  of  Agenor  was  stolen,  and  carried  into  Crete.  From 
her  sprang  the  name  of  Europe,  as  applied  by  the  Phoenicians  to  all 
west  of  themselves. 

Cadmus,  brother  of  Europa,  was  sent  to  hunt  for  her,  but,  not 
succeeding  in  finding  her,  he  passed  over  into  Greece,  then  a 
barbarous  country.  Not  "daring  to  return,  he  built  a  city  in  Greece, 
calling  it  Cadmum,  which  was  afterwards  changed  to  Thebes. 
Cadmus  introduced  the  use  of  letters,  and  written  language,  among 
the  barbarians.  From  this  arose  all  the  classical  science,  the  lite- 
rature, and  the  philosophy  of  learned  Greece;  and  for  this  Phoeni- 
cian kindness  the  Greeks  afterward  repaid  their  instructors,  by 
over-running  their  land  with  armies,  and  desolating  their  cities, 
often  drenching  their  streets  with  human  blood.  Such  is  the  jua- 
tice  of  this  world! 


[49] 


The  frequent  intercourse  of  Cadmus  with  the  Egyptians,  had 
rendered  him  familiar  with  the  wisdom  of  that  land  of  early  sci- 
ence. 

Apolodorus  gives  this  mythe  as  follows: 

"Agenor  and  Belus  were  the  sons  of  Neptune  by  Lybia,  daugh- 
ter of  Epaphus.  Belus  remained  in  Egypt,  and  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  Nilus,  who  gave  birth  to  Egyptus  and  Danaus.  Agenor  emi- 
grated to  Phoenicia,  and'  became  the  father  of  a  numerous  race ; 
.he  married  Telephe,  by  whom  he  had  Europa,  Phoenicis,  Cadmus, 
Cilix,  Electra,and  Thasus.  Agenor  had  also  other  wives  and  other 
children.  Europa  was  stolen  by  Jupiter,  transformed  into  a  bull, 
and  carried  to  Crete.  Agenor,  being  extremely  grieved  at  the  loss 
of  his  daughter,  sent  his  son  Cadmus,  with  a  large  sum  of  money 
in  quest  of  her,  but  as  "he  did  not  find  her,  and  dared  not  return 
without  her,  he  resolved  to  go  and  settle  elsewhere.  With  this  de- 
sign, having  fitted  out  a  small  fleet,  he  put  to  sea,  and  landed  in 
Thrace,  where  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  discover  a  gold  mine  on 
Mount  Pangesus. 

"Being  enriched  with  metal,  and  in  a  condition  to  pursue  his  en- 
terprise, he  was  advised  by  the  Oracle  of  Delphos  to  leave  Thrace 
and  proceed  to  Bceotia.  He  obeyed  the  Oracle,  and  went  thither 
and  founded  a  kingdom,  and  built  a  city  called  Cadmum — after- 
wards called  Thebes." 

This  is  a  mixture  of  truth  and  fable.  Let  us  try  to  separate  the 
true  elements,  and  find  out  the  facts. 

Agenor  was  the  king  of  Phoenicia,  and  Belus  was  Sesostris,  the 
king  of  Egypt.  They  are  called  sons  of  Neptune,  because  they 
traveled  by  sea  as  well  as  by  land.  They  were  not  brethren,  ex- 
cept in  arms  and  deeds  of  war,  but  were  related  by  marriage. 
Telephe,  the  wife  of  Agenor,  was  the  sister  of  that  Pharaoh,  who 
was  drowned  in  the  Eed  Sea,  and  to  Sesostris,  the  Belus  of  the  le- 
gend. Egyptus  and  Danaus  were  not  the  sons,  but  the  younger 
brothers  of  Sesostris,  and  cousins  of  Cadmus.  Agenor  and  Belus 
are  called  the  sons  of  Neptune  by  Lybia,  because  they,  together, 
went  over  the  sea,  to  conquer  that  country  which  lies  in  the  north 
of  Africa,  and  west  of  Egypt.  This  expedition  was  in  progress  at 
the  time  that  Moses  was  working  miracles  in  Egypt,  before  Pharaoh, 
the  father  of  Sesostris. 

On  their  return,  each  went  to  his  own  kingdom. 

—7 


[50] 


Tempestous  times  those  must  have  been  when  king  Agenor 
reigned  in  Phoenicia.  Moses  ha'd  just  left  Egypt,  with  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel.  The  old  Pharaoh  was  dead;  his  eldest  son  had 
perished  with  the  first  born;  and  Sesostris,  the  second  son,  had  re- 
turned from  Lybia.  He  committed  the  care  of  the  home  govern- 
ment to  his  younger  brothers,  Egyptus  and  Danaus,  and,  with  a 
new  army,  commenced  ravaging  Asia.  He  subdued  the  Philistines, 
depressed  the  Canaanites,  and  marched  victoriously  to  Persia,  and 
perhaps,  to  the  Indus. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Greeks,  then  uncivilized,  with  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  islands  between  Europe  and  Asia,  were  roving  about, 
committing  depredations  upon  their  neighbors.  Some  of  these  law- 
less free-booters,  coming  to  Phoenicia  to  sell  cattle  and  horses  and 
purchase  a  few  Tyrian  wares,  beheld  the  beautiful  daughter  of  king 
Agenor.  Mischief  was  at  once  on  foot,  as  it  always  is  when  lawful 
matrimony  is  restrained — for  lov<?,  lawful  or  unlawful,  seeks  its 
purpose.  The  strangers  stole  Europa,  and  carried  her  safely  into 
the  isle  of  Crete,  where  she  became  the  wife  of  a  chieftain.  The 
story  of  her  being  transformed  into  a  bull,  has  reference  to  her 
new  occupation,  tending  the  herds  of  cattle  with  her  new  husband. 
Some,  however,  understand  only  that  Jupiter,  who  carried  her  off, 
was  transformed  into  the  bull  at  the  time  of  the  theft,  the  better  to 
convey  away  the  bride.  If  this  is  the  meaning  of  the  fable,  it  re- 
fers to  the  boat,  whose  prow  resembled  the  head  of  that  animal, 
and  that  in  this  boat  Europa  was  carried  to  the  isle  of  Crete. 

It  was  to  hunt  this  lost  sister  that  Cadmus  went  forth,  and  final- 
ly, landing  in  Greece,  built  Thebes.  .  "Whether  or  not  he  ever  re- 
turned, to  report  progress,  does  not  appear;  but  very  soon  after  we 
find  that  his  sisters  came  to  him,  and  helped  him  plant,  build  and 
people  his  city.  Here  they  met  their  cousins,  Egyptus  and  Danaus, 
who  had  fled  from  Egypt.  An  account  of  their  flight  will  be  found 
in  the  history  of  Sesostris.  One  of  them  left  his  name  to  his  na- 
tive land,  and  the  other  conferred  his  name  upon  the  most  impor- 
tant river  in  south-eastern  Europe,  the  Danube.  The  two  brothers, 
married  the  two  sisters  of  Cadmus,  their  cousins,  Isoea  and  Melia, 
thus  diffusing  in  the  new  colony  the  germs  of  Eg}Tptian  as  well  as 
Phoenician  science.  What  great  results  arose  from  stealing  one 
woman! 

Electra,  another  daughter,  was,  probably,  a  resident  of  Thebes, 
as  one  of  the  gates  bore  her  name;  but  whether  she  likewise  found 


[51] 


a  husband,  or  remained  watching  at  the  gate  in  single  blessedness, 
W9  are  not  informed.  Thassus,  another  brother,  built  Thassos,  in 
Thrace.  Cilix  settled  in  Cilicia,  and  gave  name  to  his  country; 
while  Phoenix  remained  at  home,  and  succeeded  his  father  in  the 
government,  and  gave  name  to  all  the  country.  He  is  said  to  have 
discovered  the  art  of  making  the  scarlet-colored  dye,  called  the 
Tyrian  dye,  which  also  received  his  name,  and  from  its  resem- 
blance to  flame,  arising  from  thrashes,  arose  the  fabulous  bird,  the 
Phoenix. 

Poor  old,  unfortunate  king  Agenor.  Somebody  stole  his  dear 
daughter  Europa,  carried  her  off,  and  married  her;  and  because  no 
one  would  come  to  steal  the  others,  they  went  themselves,  without 
being  stolen,  and.  found  their  husbands. 

Previous  to  this  time,  Phoenicia  was  esteemed  a  part  of  Canaan. 

Little  that  would  interest  the  common  reader,  is  known  from 
the  times  of  Phoenix,  until  the  time  of  David,  king  of  Israel,  about 
the  year  1000  B.  C. 

Abial,  king  of  Tyre,  and  probably  of  all  Phoenicia,  was  counted 
an  enemy  of  David,  but  was  succeeded  by  Hiram,  who  was  the  de- 
voted friend  of  both  David  and  Solomon.*  Mutual  presents  passed 
between  them,  until,  at  length,  a  regular  treaty  of  national  alliance 
was  formed  upon  the  death  of  David,  and  the  accession  of  Solomon 
to  the  throne  of  Israel.  This  prince  sent  to  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre, 
a  letter  of  such  diplomatic  character,  that  it  may  interest  the  read- 
er to  have  a  copy  of  it,  especially  as  it. is  the  oldest  State  paper  on 
record: 

'•'•King  Solomon  to  King  Hiram,  Greeting: — Be  it  known  to  thee, 
O,  king,  that  my  father  David  had  it  a  long  time  in  his  mind  to 
erect  a  temple  to  Jehovah;  but  being  perpetually  in  war,  and  under 
the  necessity  of  fighting  his  enemies,  and  making  them  all  tribu- 
taries, before  he  could  attend  to  the  great  and  glorious  work,  he 
has  left  it  to  me,  in  time  of  peace,  both  to  begin  and  finish  it,  ac- 
cording to  the  prediction  of  Almighty  God.  Blessed  be  His  name 
for  the  present  tranquility  of  my  dominions,  and  by  his  gracious 

*It  is  the  opinion  of  many  that  Hiram  was  not  the  son  of  the 
preceding  king,  but  a  foreigner  that  had  gained  the  throne,  per- 
haps an  Israelite.  He  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  Israel- 
ites, their  form  of  government  and  religion,  and  worshiped  the  true 
G-od  in  connection  with  the  idols  of  Phoenicia. 


[52] 


assistance,  I  shall  now  dedicate  the  best  improvement  of  this  liberty 
and  leisure  to  his  honor  and  worship.  Wherefore  I  make  my  re- 
quest that  you  will  let  some  of  your  people  go  with  some  of  my 
servants  to  Mount  Lebanon,  to  assist  them  in  cutting  down  mate- 
rials for  this  building,  for  the  Sidonians  understand  it  much  better 
than  we  do.  As  for  the  workmen's  reward,  or  wages,  whatever 
you  think  reasonable  shall  be  punctually  paid  to  them." 

To  this  Hiram  returned  the  following  answer: 

"Nothing  could  be  more  welcome  to  me  than  to  understand  that 
the  government  of  your  deceased  father  is  devolved,  in  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  into  the  hands  of  so  exalted,  so  wise,  and  so  virtuous 
a  successor.  His  holy  name  be  praised  for  it.  That  which  you 
write  for  shall  be  done  with  all  care,  and  good  will,  for  I  will  give 
orders  that  there  shall  be  exported  such  quantities  of  the  fairest 
cedars  and  cypress  trees  as  you  shall  have  occasion  for.  My  peo- 
ple shall  bring  them  to  the  sea-side  for  you,  and  from  there  ship 
them  away  to  what  port  you  please,  where  they  may  be  ready  for 
your  own  men  to  transport  them  to  Jerusalem.  It  would  be  a  great 
obligation,  after  all  this,  to  allow  us  such  a  provision  of  corn  in  ex- 
change, as  may  agree  with  your  convenience,  for  that  is  the  com- 
modity which  we  Tyrians  most  need." 

The  kingdom  of  Tyre  nourished  exceedingly  under  the  adminis- 
tration of  Hiram.  The  walls  of  the  city  were  enlarged;  the  unity 
of  Phoenicia  preserved;  the  commerce  of  the  land  greatly  increas- 
ed. Peace  and  prosperity  poured  in  upon  them,  and  the  world  at 
large  was  blessed  through  them.  This  was  the  result  of  their  libe- 
ral policy  towards  the  people  of  God. 

It  was  about  this  time  that  so  much,  was  done  to  facilitate  travel, 
by  caravans,  from  Tyre  and  Jerusalem  through  Tadmore,  in  the 
wilderness,  to  Babylon  and  the  Indies. 


THE      DESEKT. 

The  cities  of  Phoenicia,  Canaan,  and  Palestine,  studded  the  west- 
ern coast  of  Asia  or  capped  the  hill  tops  a  little  in  the  rear,  that 


skirted  the  Eastern  end  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  like  a  narrow 
frill  on  the  edge  of  a  lady's  dress.  These  cities  were  the  cradle, 
and  the  home  of  early  manufactories. 

Far  in  the  East  ran  the  great  rivers  Euphrates  and  Tigress,  with 
their  tributaries.  On  their  borders  and  far  beyond  them,  reaching 
to  the  Indus  and  the  Southern  Ocean,  where  many  fertile  plains 
dotted  with  splendid  cities  teeming  with  human  beings.  These 
lands  abounded  with  valuable  productions  of  the  earth,  both  veget- 
able and  mineral. 

A  commerce  between  the  East  and  the  "West  of  Asia  became 
therefore  exceedingly  desirable.  By  it  one  would  receive  the  raw 
material,  for  the  factories  and  the  other  utensils  for  farming  and 
mining,  as  well  as  articles  of  luxury,  in  exchange  for  grain,  gums, 
dyestuffs,  and  the  precious  metals.  Between  these  two  portions  of 
the  East,  the  great  pastures  of  Mesopotamia  degenerated  into  the 
barren  plains  of  Southern  Syria,  where  they  met  and  wed  those  of 
northern  Arabia,  forming  a  bleak,  dreary  wilderness  of  burning 
sand,  floating  before  the  breath  of  poisonous  winds  that  bore  des- 
truction and  death  on  their  wings.  For  many  miles  around  no 
flowing  stream,  nor  waving  grove,  no  cheerful  verdure  relieves  the 
gloom  that  hangs  like  the  mantle  of  desolation  over  the  wide  spread 
prospect.  Here  and  there,  at  great  distance  apart,  were  once 
stinted  patches  of  verdant  earth  where  cooling  streams  bubbled  up, 
ran  a  few  miles  and  were  again  lost  in  the  interminable  sands. 
Around  these  spots,  like  eyes  in  the  body  of  the  desert,  stood  sentry 
a  few  palm  trees,  eye-lashes  to  guard  the  fountains.  Under  the 
shadow  of  their  foliage  lurked  ferocious  beasts  of  prey. 

Across  this  desert  the  trade  between  the  East  and  the  West  was 
carried  by  camels  going  from  Dema^cus,  in  the  South  part  of  Syria, 
to  Babylon  and  Persepolis.  The  hardy  adventurer  in  this  enter- 
prise was  exposed  to  dangers  which  would  appal  any  but  the  stout- 
est heart. — Out  in  this  desert  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  miles 
from  Damascus  was  originally  a  small  fertile  spot  on  which  stood 
the  famous  city  Tadmor,  in  the  wilderness,  now  a  pile  of  ruins. — 
It  was  first  built  by  Solomon  King  of  Israel,  after  he  had  completed 
the  temple,  his  own  house,  and  Baalbec,  in  Mount  Lebanon.  By 
the  protection  afforded  by  this  city  the  perils  of  the  desert  trade, 
though  still  terrible,  were  greatly  mitigated.  Larger  caravans 
could  go  in  company  with  confident  expectation  of  reaching  Tadmor 
in  a  few  days  journey  from  Damascus. 


[54] 


This  trade  brought  the  East  and  the  West  into  a  more  intimate 
acquaintance.  I  do  not  recollect  that  the  Jews  had  any  knowledge 
of  Assyria  from  the  time  of  Abraham  to  the  time  that  Solomon 
built  Tadmor  in  the  wilderness.  Commerce  has  often  been  the 
great  instrumentality  for  uniting  the  hostile  tribes  of  earth  in  more 
friendly  relations.  Commerce  has  prohibited  the  unsheathing  of 
the  sword,  when  no  ambitious  king,  no  skillful  diplomatist,  no  art- 
ful politician,  could  have  averted  the  horrors  of  war.  "We  owe  more 
to  commerce,  than  to  all  other  secular  employments,  for  the  present 
peace,  prosperity,  and  happiness  of  our  country  and  the  whole 
world.  It  is  to  be  accounted  among  the  greatest  glories  of  the  reign 
of  Solomon  and  Hiram,  that  they  aided  in  the  protection  and  ex- 
tension of  commerce,  even  to  building  cities  in  the  wilderness  to  fa- 
cilitate trade,  whereby  all  nations  reposed  under  the  green  foliage  of 
universal  peace.  The  commerce,  manufactories,  architecture  and 
diplomacy  of  the  world  owe  their  origin,  to  these  grand  masters. 

They  gave  them  birth.  They  rocked  their  cradle.  They  nursed 
them  in  childhood,  and  now  in  their  manhood  they  march  round  the 
world  sheathing  the  sword,  and  commanding  all  nations  to  live  in 
unity,  to  join  in  a  universal  fraternity  in  the  family  of  man.  The 
terrible  wars  that  afflicted  the  east,  and  the  west  of  Asia,  subsequent 
to  the  time  of  Solomon,  resulting  in  the  subversion  of  Israel  and 
Judah,  were  not  the  offspring  of  the  facilitated  intercourse  across 
the  desert,  but  the  neglect  of  that  commercial  exchange  which 
caused  each  nation  to  prize  the  friendship  of  others.  The  dangers 
of  the  desert  trade,  previous  to  the  time  of  Solomon  must  have  been 
similar  to  those  experienced  by  some  of  our  immigrants  on  the 
overland  route  to  Colifornia,  and  are  pathetically  expressed  in  one 
of  Collins'  poems,  from  which  I  make  the  following  extract: 

In  silent  horror  o'er  the  boundless  waste, 

The  driver  Hassan  with  his  camels  past, 

One  cruse  of  water  on  his  back  he  bore, 

And  his  light  scrip  contained  a  scanty  store; 

A  fan  of  painted  feathers  in  his  hand, 

To  guard  his  shaded  face  from  the  scorching  sand. 

The  sultry  sun  had  gained  the  middle  sky, 

And  not  a  tree,  and  not  a  herb,  was  nigh. 

The  beasts,  with  pain,  their  dusty  way  pursue, 

Shrill  roared  the  wind,  and  dreary  was  the  view. 

With  desperate  sorrow  wild,  the  freighted  man, 

Thrice  sighed,  thrice  struck  his  breast,  and  thus  began, 

Sad  was  the  hour,  and  luckless  was  the  day, 

When  first  from  Shiraz's  walls,  I  led  my  way. 


[55] 


Ah!  little  thought  I  of  the  hlustering  wind, 
This  thirst,  or  pinching  hunger,  that  I  find. 
Bethink  thee,  Hassan,  where  shall  thirst  assuage; 
When  fails  this  cruse — his  unrelenting  rage. 
Soon  shall  this  scrip  its  previous  load  resign, 
Then  what — but  tears  and  hunger — shall  be  thine. 
Cursed,  be  the  gold  and  silver  which  persuade, 
Weak  men  to  follow  far,  fatiguing  trade. 
The  lilly  peace  outshines  the  silver  store, 
And  life  is  dearer  than  the  golden  ore, 

All  frantic  as  I  go, 

When  thought  creates  unnumbered  scenes  of  woe. 

What  if  the  Lion  in  his  rage  I  meet; 

Oft  in  the  dust  I  view  his  printed  feet. 

And  fearful  when  day's  declning  light, 

Yields  her  pale  empire  to  the  sable  night. 

By  hunger  roused,  he  scours  the  groaning  plain; 

Gaunt  Wolves,  and  sullen  Tigers  on  his  train. 

At  that  dread  hour,  the  silent  Asp  will  creep, 

If  aught  of  rest  I  find — upon  my  sleep. 

Or  some  swolen  serpent,  twist  his  scales  around, 

And  wake  to  anguish  with  a  burning  wound. 


SEPARATION   OF   ISRAEL   FROM  JUDAH. 

Solomon,  the  wise  king,  was  succeeded  on  the  throne  by  his  son 
Rehoboam,  who  was  vastly  below  mediocrity  for  talent.  Incapa- 
ble of  perceiving  the  best  interest  of  his  people,  he  called  a  court 
to  advise  him.  Let  us  put  their  language  into  a  more  modern 
dress.  Old  men,  what  say  you? 

"What  political  course  shall  I  adopt?  How  shall  I  govern  this 
people?"  To  this  the  old  men,  who  had  seen  the  good  results  of 
commercial  enterprise,  replied: — "You  see  how  your  father  man- 
aged. He  only  taxed  the  people  lightly;  he  encouraged  them  to 
engage  in  commercial  enterprise,  and  by  that  means  the  country 
became  rich,  united  and  happy;  the  king  ruled  in  sufficient  mag- 
nificence, and  the  world  was  at  peace.  Follow,  now,  the  footsteps 
of  your  father;  tax  lightly,  and  leave  the  wealth  of  the  nation  in 


[56] 


the  hands  of  individuals,  with  which  to  continue  the  commercial 
enterprises  so  auspiciously  commenced  in  the  preceding  reign." 

Eehoboam  replied:  "Very  good  advice;  but  here  are  the  young 
men  brought  up  with  me.  I  will  hear  what  they  have  to  say." 
"Young  men,  what  say  you;  what  kind  of  politics  shall  I  adopt?" 
The  young  men  consulted.  "If  the  king  gather  great  revenue  of 
money  from  the  people,  he  will,  of  course,  spend  it  again,  and  who 
is  so  likely  to  have  the  handling  of  the  money,  and  get  pro- 
fitable contracts,  under  the  government,  as  ourselves,  who  have 
been  brought  up  with  him."  They,  then,  agree  to  say  to 
the  king:  "We  advise  your  majesty  to  lay  on  a  heavy  tax, 
thereby  collect  a  great  revenue,  and  thus  make  your  govern- 
ment magnificent,  and  yourself  glorious."  Eehoboam,  like  a  fool- 
ish simple  boy,  was  pleased.  He  replied:  "That  these  old  men  are 
not  wise;  they  are  antiquated  in  their  notions;  they  have  fallen  be- 
hind the  age.  I  like,  and  will  pursue,  the  advice  of  the  young 
men."  9 

The  result  is  well  known.  The  kingdom  was  rent  in  twain.  Ten 
tribes  departed,  and  formed  a  separate  kingdom,  ever  after  known 
as  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  distinct  from  Judah.  They,  ultimately, 
built  a  capitol,  called  Samaria  in  the  tribe  of  Ephraim.  Hence 
they  are  all  some  times  called  Israel;  some  times  Samaria;  some 
times  Ephraim.  tFudah  and  Benjamin  alone  remained,  under  the 
government  of  Eehoboam,  and  were  unitedly  called  Judah;  their 
capitol  was  Jerusalem,  in  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  By  this  mal-ad- 
ministration,  the  kingdom  was  rent  in  two;  commerce  was  checked; 
and  the  way  prepared  for  the  desolation,  and  final  captivity,  of  both 
nations.  Eehoboam,  like  his  father,  built  ships  on  the  Eed  Sea; 
but  they  were  broken,  and  did  not  sail,  and  those  ports  taken  from 
him  by  the  Edomites.  In  every  direction  commerce  began  to  de- 
part from  Israel  and  Judah.  For  a  long  time  it  lingered  in  the 
hands  of  the  Phoenicians  and  the  Syrians,  but  ultimately  departed 
into  the  great  valley  of  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris,  where  we  shall, 
in  a  few  years,  find  the  power,  wealth  and  glory  of  the  world. 


[57J 


JEZEBEL. 

About  one  thousand  years  before  the  Christian  era,  died  Eesin, 
king  of  Syria,  Solomon,  king  of  Israel,  and  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre, 
after  a  long,  peaceful  and  glorious  reign,  which  conferred  great 
blessings  upon  their  respective  kingdoms,  and,  indeed,  upon  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  The  times  that  succeeded  them  were  tempes- 
tuous in  the  extreme.  For  one  hundred  years  the  kingdoms  of 
Israel  and  Phoenicia  were  convulsed  with  treasons,  murders,  and 
every  possible  exhibition  of  human  depravity;  the  uniform  con- 
comitant of  a  departure  from  the  worship  of  the  living  and  the  true 
God.  From  the  history  of  these  times,  we  may  learn  wisdom.  If 
coming  events  cast  their  shadow  before,  may  we  not  anticipate 
trouble  when  so  many  of  our  rulers  rule  not  in  the  fear  of  the 
1/ord.  After  the  death  of  Solomon  his  kingdom  was  divided  into 
two,  ever  after  known  as  the  kingdoms  of  Judah  and  Israel.  Jero- 
boam was  the  first  king  of  Israel,  and  early  introduced  idolatry, 
by  setting  up  two  calves,  one  in  Dan,  the  other  in  Beersheba,  the 
extremes  of  his  kingdom.  From  ttiis  time,  to  that  of  Ahab,  the 
history  of  Israel  was  filled  with  plots  and  counter- plots,  until  the 
line  of  Jeroboam  became  extinct,  and  two  rival  generals  aspired 
to  the  throne.  Omri  was  the  successful  candidate.  He  bought  the 
hill  Shamar,  and  built  the  city  of  Samaria  thereon,  ever  after  the 
capitol  of  Israel.  Omri  died,  and  his  son  Ahab  took  the  throne, 
about  the  year  925  B.  C. 

Astartus,  grandson  of  Hiram,  became  king  of  Tyre,  but  was 
soon  murdered  by  his  servants.  Asterimus  succeeded  to  the  throne, 
and  was  murdered  by  his  brother  Phelles,  who  reigned  eight 
months,  and  was  murdered  by  his  nephew,  the  son  of  Asterimus. 
Ithobal,  the  son  of  Asterimus,  was  a  priest  of  Baal.  In  his  priest- 
ly service  he  was  assisted  by  his  daughter  Jezebel.  Grieving  for 
the  untimely  death  of  his  late  regal  father,  Ithobal,  with  his  daugh- 
ter, while  offering  incense  upon  the  altar  of  their  god,  made  a 
solemn  vow,  that  if  Baal  would  restore  the  throne  to  him,  the  right- 
ful heir,  they  would  consecrate  all  their  powers  to  the  advancement 
of  his  worship.  All  who  would  not  bow  before  Baal  were  to  be 
held  their  enemies.  The  vow  being  made,  Jezebel  prepared  for 
the  execution  of  it.  Born  in  these  exciting  times  of  treason  and 
violence,  her  soul  seemed  to  drink  in  the  full  spirit  of  the  age.  To 
shed  blood,  in  the  execution  of  her  purpose,  seemed  but  a  pass- 
time.  By  her  stratagem  the  king  was  drawn  in  their  power,  and 
8— 


[58] 


murdered  in  a  retired  chamber  of  the  temple.  This  transferred 
Ithobal  and  Jezebel  from  the  altar  to  the  regal  palace — the  priest 
ascended  the  throne  of  his  uncle,  so  many  of  whose  predecessors 
had  expired  by  the  hand  of  assassins.  This  was  about  the  time 
that  Ahab  ascended  the  throne  of  Israel.  Jezebel,  with  all  the  arts 
of  coquetry,  drew  on  Ahab  to  form  an  alliance  with  Ithobal,  which 
was  more  firmly  cemented  by  the  marriage  of  this  daughter,  of  this 
priestly  king  of  Tyre,  with  -the  regal  monarch  of  Israel.  Then 
came  the  fulfillment  of  the  vow,  made  at  the  pagan  altar. 
Prophets  and  seers,  priests  and  servants  of  God,  were  either  butch- 
ered or  compelled  to  hide  themselves  in  caves  and  dens  in  the 
earth.  Priests  of  Baal  were  every  where  multiplied.  Groves  were 
consecrated  to  pagan  worship,  where  altars  constantly  smoked  with 
sacrifices,  and  often  reeked  with  human  blood.  To  these  times 
Paul  must  have  referred  wThen  he  said  of  a  people,  that  they  were 
"without  natural  affection,  implacable,  unmerciful."  Even  all  the 
children  were  required  to  be  consecrated  by  fire  to  Baal. 

At  that  time  stood  forth,  to  defend  the  truth,  Elijah,  the  prophet 
of  God,  who  declared,  by  the  King  of  Heaven,  that  there  should 
be  no  rain  on  this  sinful  land,  but,  by  his  word.  Heaven  frowned 
upon  the  nation.  The  elements  joined  in  the  contest  between  Je- 
hovah and  the  Phoenician  idoL  and  were  ready  to  avenge  the 
death  of  the  servants  of  the  Lord.  The  clouds  refused  to  mingle 
their  waters  with  the  blood  of  the  martyrs.  The  heavens  became 
as  brass  overhead,  and  the  earth  as  iron  under  foot.  The  air  look- 
ed fiery  and  revengeful;  the  birds  of  heaven  fled  away.  The  green 
leaves  became  parched  to  a  crisp;  the  channels  of  the  streams  be- 
came dry  and  dusty;  the  beasts  muttered  their  mournful  protest 
against  the  wickedness  of  man,  and  expired.  Many  of  the  human 
family  gave  up  the  ghost,  dying  of  hunger.  The  destroying  angel 
Spread  his  direful  wings,  not  only  over  Israel,  but  also  extended  his 
shadow  all  over  Phoenicia,  and  far  into  Syria.  The  manufactories 
of  Tyre  were  suspended.  A  voice  of  wailing  ascended  from  all  the 
land,  and  was  re-echoed  from  the  hill-tops,  to  the  relentless  skies. 

Instead  cf  returning  to  the  worship  of  the  true  God,  and  ceasing 
from  bloody  persecutions,  Jezebel,  like  Pharaoh,  became  more  ob- 
durate and  cruel  by  these  calamities.  Nothing  was  heard  in  the 
regal  palace  but  curses  upon  the  head  of  Elijah,  the  prophet  of  God. 
But,  where  was  he?  Ahab  had  sent  into  every  kingdom  to  hunt 
for  him,  and  had  taken  an  oath  of  them  that  he  was  not  there.  I 


[69] 


mistake — not  every  kingdom!  He  had  not  inquired  in  the  king- 
dom of  God — Elijah  was  there,  fed  by  the  King,  who  sent  a  messen- 
ger night  and  morning  to  feed  the  prophet  with  flesh  and  bread. 

Oh,  what  evil  one  devilish  woman  can  accomplish,  when  she 
quarrels  with  a  servant  of  God!  What  calamities  she  can  bring 
upon  herself  and  her  friends,  and  all- for  the  religious  traditions  of 
her  fathers!  There  are  many  Jezebels  in  modern  times,  who  stir 
up  their  husbands  to  do  the  devil's  work  in  society.  This  subject 
has  a  moral  application,  but  I  will  not  now  stop  to  make  it.  At 
some  other  time  my  pen  shall  describe  the  modern  Jezebel.  Let  us 
pause,  and  observe  the  finale  of  this  wicked  administration. 

1st.  The  king,  by  being  the  mere  servant  of  a  deceitful  woman, 
became  greatly  degenerate  in  mental  capacity.  When  woman  is 
in  her  proper  sphere,  she  exalts  man  and  ascends  with  him;  when 
she  usurps  authority  over  him,  man  sinks  below  the  level  of  his 
sex. 

Ahab  had  desired  to  purchase  a  vineyard  in  Jezreel,  which  was 
near  to  the  royal  palace,  but  because  JSTaboth,  the  owner,  declined 
selling  it,  the  king,  like  a  foolish  boy,  cast  himself  upon  his  bed, 
and  indulged  in  a  fit  of  crying. — 1st  Kings,  xxi  ch:  4th  v. 

Jezebel,  however,  after  reproving  him  for  his  childishness,  soon 
disposed  of  Kaboth,  and  directed  her  effeminate  lord  to  arise  and 
take  possession.  He  obeyed,  but  had  no  sooner  entered  the  vine- 
yard than  the  prophet  of  the  Lord  met  him;  and  the  king,  like  a 
guilty,  trembling  culprit,  listened  to  the  sentence  of  God  upon  him 
and  his  family. 

Jezebel  had  become  so  ferocious  in  her  wickedness,  that  her  name 
ever  after  became  a  proverb,  not  only  on  earth,  but  also  among  the 
angels  in  heaven.  Eev.  n. 

2d.  Woes  unutterable  rolled  over  Israel  and  Phoenicia,  and  the 
throne  and  sceptre  passed  from  both  their  families.  The  change 
in  the  royal  line  of  Tyre,  shall  be  given  in  another  article.  I  will 
here  continue  the  history  of  Israel,  until  the  line  of  Ahab  and 
Jezebel  become  extinct. 

3d.  The  end  of  that  evil  woman  was  a  most  fearful  death.  In- 
gloriously,  also,  terminated  the  life  of  Ahab,  who  permitted  his 
wife  to  stir  him  up  to  all  mischief.  Ahab  was  not  killed  by  the 
people  whom  he  had  so  much  injured,  but  was  permitted  to  fall  into 
a  snare  from  another  source.  Jezebel  had  stirred  him  up  to  com- 


[60] 

commence  an  aggressive  war  upon  Syria,  to  capture  JRamoth  Gi- 
lead.  After  imprisoning  the  prophet  Micaiah,  for  giving  him  sol- 
emn warning,  he,  with  Johosaphat,  king  of  Judah,  went  to  battle. 

Benhadad,  the  king  of  Syria,  very  humanely  directed  his  cap- 
tains to  fight  with  none  but  Ahab,  who,  like  a  cowardly  knave, 
disguised  himself,  that  he  might  escape  the  evils  to  which  he  was 
willing  to  expose  others.  A  bow,  drawn  at  a  venture,  was  dis. 
charged  at  the  host  of  Israel.  Although  aimed,  by  the  archer,  at  no 
particular  object,  the  All-seeing  eye  took  sight,  glanced  along  the 
string  and  rested  on  his  vailed  majesty.  The  arrow  sped  along  the 
line  of  the  divine  vision,  and  penetrated  the  body  of  Ahab. 

The  royal  monarch  sank  back  in  his  carriage,  which  was  hastily 
driven  back  to  Samaria,  and  halted  in  the  vineyard  of  Jezreel. 

There  the  king  died,  and,  owing  to  the  confusion  incident  to  the 
defeat,  his  carcass  for  some  time  remained  in  the  chariot,  where 
his  blood,  dripping  through  the  same  to  the  ground,  was  licked  up 
by  the  dogs — even  in  the  place  where  the  blood  of  Naboth  was 
shed.  "Surely  with  what  measure  ye  meet,  to  you  it  shall  be  mea- 
sured again."  He  died  as  a  fool  dieth. 

After  the  tragical  fate  of  Ahab,  in  exact  accordance  with  the  de- 
claration of  two  prophets,  we  might  have  supposed  that  the  family 
would  have  learned  wisdom,  and  ceased  from  persecuting  the  ser- 
vants of  God.  But  not  so;  evil  seducers,  and  wicked  persons  wax 
worse  and  worse  continually.  Ahaziah,  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel, 
ascended  the  throne,  and  dwelt  in  the  palace  of  Jezreel,  which  over- 
shadowed the  vineyard  of  .Naboth.  After  a  turbulent  and  inglori- 
ous reign,  marked  by  no  peculiar  event,  but  sending  three  com- 
panies, of  fifty  soldiers  each,  to  capture  the  prophet  Elijah,  two  of 
whom  were  destroyed  by  fire  from  heaven,  the  king  fell  through 
a  lattice,  and  tumbled  off  the  rocks  into  the  fatal  vineyard.  The 
injury  resulting  from  this  fall  caused  his  death. 

In  the  meantime,  interesting  events  were  transpiring  in  Jerusalem. 
Jehoram,  son  of  Johosaphat,  had  married  Athalia,  the  daughter  of 
Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  ascended  the  throne  of  his  deceased  father. 
He  had  introduced  into  Judah  many  of  the  pagan  customs  of  his 
mother-in-law.  At  his  death  he  had  left  a  great  number  of  child- 
ren, and  grand-children.  His  throne  was  now  occupied  by  his  old- 
est son,  Ahaziah,  also  a  grand-child  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  and  in- 
cluded in  the  denunciation  of  Elijah.  The  Ahaziah,  of  Samaria, 
being  dead,  his  throne  was  occupied  by  his  brother,  also  called 


[61] 


Jehoram.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Elijah,  the  prophet,  after 
having  endured  the  persecution  of  two  kings,  by  the  instigation  of 
the  Tyrian  Jezebel,  ascended  miraculously  to  heaven.  Jehoram 
reigned  about  twelve  years;  he  was  continually  engaged  in  unfor- 
tunate wars  with  Edom.  Moab  and  Syria,  and,  like  his  father,  un- 
dertook to  besiege  Roman  Gilead.  There  he  received  serious 
wounds,  and  returned  to- Jezreel  to  be  healed.  Ahaziah,  king  of 
Judah,  hearing  that  his  uncle  had  been  sick,  came  down  to  Jezreel 
to  visit  him.  While  the  kings  were  enjoying  this  visit,  a  watch- 
man, in  the  tower  upon  the  hill,  gave  an  outcry.  He-oo!  your  ma- 
jesty, I  see  horsemen,  and  the  approach  of  an  army  in  the  distance! 
An  army!  an  army!  cried  the  king;  send  a  horseman  and  ascertain 
who  it  is.  That  boy  Jehu,  who  rode  behind  Ahab,  when  he  went 
to  take  possession  of  the  vineyard  of  Naboth,  had  now  become  a 
man,  and  risen,  to  be  a  captain.  He  had  command  at  Ramoth  Gi- 
lead, that  very  city  where  Ahab  and  Jehoram  had  been  wounded. 
Jehu  was  a  rough,  unpolished,  ungentlemanly  fellow,  with  great 
energy  and  decision  of  charactrr;  we  some  times  say  he  belonged 
to  a  secret  society  of  one;  he  could  keep  his  own  council.  At  the 
head  of  a  small,  but  efficient  force,  leaving  Ramoth  Gilead,  he 
moved  rapidly  on  towards  Samaria.  This  was  the  host  seen  by 
the  watchman  at  Jezreel.  The  messenger  from  the  king  met  this 
band,  and  hailed  something  after  this  manner:  "Ah!  Oh!  Captain 
Jehu,  is  it  you?  Captain  have  you  come  up  here  for  war  or  for 
peace?"  To  these  questions  the  captain  gave  no  direct  answer; 
but,  that  the  king  of  Israel  might  receive  no  tidings,  he  command- 
ed "to  put  the  man  in  the  rear."  The  watchman  at  Jezreel  saw 
the  movement,  and  cried  out:  "I  saw  the  messenger  come  to  them, 
and  he  comes  not  back  again,  but  the  hosts  advance  this  way."  The 
two  kings  became  alarmed.  Another  messenger  was  sent  with 
speed,  to  go  and  return  with  tidings,  who,  and  what,  the  strangers 
are.  He  also  met  Jehu,  who  gave  him  the  same  reception  as  his 
predecessor.  The  watchman  again  hailed:  "I  saw  this  second  mes- 
senger come  quite  to  the  army,  and  he  returns  not.  The  army  still 
advance;  they  come  very  rapidly,  and  the  driving  is  like  the  driv- 
ing of  Jehu,  for  he  always  drives  furiously.  Jehu,  captain  Jehu, 
that  furious  man! — trouble  ahead;  there  is  treachery;  O,  Ahaziah! 
call  the  guards — get  out  the  chariots  of  war — prepare  for  battle!" 
The  two  kings  move  cautiously  out  to  meet  their  visitor.  "  'Tis 
Jehu,  surely!  Captain  Jehu,  have  you  come  hither,  with  all  this 


[62] 


haste,  for  war  or  for  peace?"  Jehu  indignantly  replies:  "War  or 
peace!  What  peace,  so  long  as  .your  cursed  old  mother  carries  on 
so  like  the  devil?"  Without  further  ceremony  the  battle  began — 
Ahaziah  turned  and  fled.  Jehu,  pushing  hard  after  him,  hurled  a 
javelin  at  him,  which  wounded  him  in  his  chariot.  He  escaped  to 
Meggido,  where  he  died  that  night,  and  was  carried  to  Jerusalem 
to  be  buried.  Jehu,  also,  in  the  beginning  of  the  action,  drew  a 
bow,  with  his  full  strength,  and  smote  Jehoram  between  his  arms. 
The  arrow  went  out  at  his  heart,  and  he  sank  down  in  his  chariot, 
which  was  drawn  simultaneously  towards  Jezreel.  The  captain,  in 
his  pursuit  of  Ahaziah,  had  fallen  in  the  rear  of  his  men.  At  length 
Jehu  came  up,  where  the  dead  body  of  the  king  lay,  thrown  from 
his  carriage.  He  paused,  and  wildly  exclaimed:  "I  was  a  boy 
when  Ahab  went  down  to  take  the  vineyard  at  Naboth,  and  rode 
behind  him.  I  heard  what  the  prophet  said  about  this  famity,  on 
account  of  that  murder.  Last  night  troubled  dreams  disturbed  me; 
all  night  the  blood  of  that  innocent  man  floated  before  me,  calling 
for  vengeance,  and  to-day  the  vengeance  has  come.  Take  up  the 
carcass,  and  cast  it  into  the  vineyard."  His  men,  obeying  the 
command,  cast  the  royal  corpse  of  this  son  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel 
into  the  bloody  field. 

But  the  blood  of  Naboth  is  not  yet  avenged.  The  queen  mother, 
the  author-of  all  these  woes  yet  lives.  From  the  window  of  the 
palace  she  saw  the  conflict  in  which  her  royal  son  expired.  She 
arrayed  herself  in  her  gayest  apparel,  and  painted  her  face — perhaps 
hoping  by  her  old  and  faded  charms  to  captivate  the  young  and 
heroic  Jehu,  but  to  no  purpose.  As  he  approached  she  hailed  him. 
To  her  the  blunt  captain  made  no  reply,  but  raising  his  eyes  to  the 
window  he  cried  out:  "any  body  up  there  on  my  side?  anybody?  If 
there  is,  heave  her  out."  The  servants  responded.  Down  she 
tumbled  into  the  midst  of  the  soldiery.  RTev'er  before  did  heaven 
rain  such  a  shower.  ISTever  did  star  fall  from  heaven  more  worthy 
to  set.  Over  her  prostrate  body  strode  the  hosts  of  Jehu,  horsemen, 
chariots,  footmen  and  all,  mangling  her  flesh  and  bones  beneath 
them,  in  the  same  fatal  vineyard  drenched  with  the  blood  of  her 
husband  and  her  son.  That  night  was  devoted  by  Jehu  and  his 
companions  to  banqueting.  But  in  the  midst  of  the  feast,  suddenly 
pausing,  Jehu  exclaims,  "That  Jezebel  was  an  accursed  old  creature, 
worthy  of  all  this  ill  fate,  and  the  judgment  of  Heaven  was  de- 


[63] 


nounced  against  her — yet  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  king  of  Tyre. 
Go  give  her  a  royal  burial." 

The  dogs  had  anticipated  Jehu's  command,  for  when  the  servants 
came  for  her  body,  nothing  remained  of  Jezebel,  which  the  dogs 
had  not  devoured,  save  the  skull,  the  feet,  and  the  palms  of  the 
hands.  What  had  Elijah  said  should  become  of  this  woman?  "Thus 
saith  the  Lord,  in  the  place  where  t  ie  dogs  licked  the  blood  of  !N"a- 
both,  there  shall  they  eat  thy  flesh,  even  thine,  0  Jezebel."  Ahab 
had  seven  sons  and  seventy  grand-sons,  in  the  town  of  Samaria. 
To  the  governor,  Jehu  sent  a  letter,  inviting  them  to  set  up  one  of 
them  for  king  and  fight  for  him.  Alarmed  at  the  terrible  slaughter 
of  two  kings,  and  the  old  queen,  with  their  adherents,  they  dared 
not  contend  with  the  heroic  captain.  They,  therefore,  slew  all 
these  princes,  cut  off  their  heads,  and  sent  and  piled  them  up  in 
two  heaps  at  the  entrance  to  Jezreel.  Soon  after  this,  Jehu  and 
his  companions  rode  out  into  the  country,  where  they  met  forty- 
two  young  men,  descendants  of  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  by  their  daugh- 
ter Athalia,  who  had  received  no  tidings  of  the  events  in  Samaria. 
He  inquired  of  these  young  men:  "Who  are  you?"  To  which  they 
replied:  "We  are  the  princes  of  Judah,  going  to  visit  our  cousins, 
the  princes  of  Samaria."  "Take  them  alive,"  said  Jehu.  These 
were  all  captured,  carried  to  Jezreel,  and  slain. 

"How  fearful  and  terrible  are  thy  judgments,  O,  Lord  God  Al- 
mighty. Surely  there  is  a  way  which  seemeth  right  unto  men,  but 
the  end  thereof  is  death."  Let  modern  Jezebels  behold  and  learn 
the  fate  of  those  ^vho  quarrel  with  the  servants  of  the  Lord.  Who 
ever  contended  against  God  and  prospered?  Leaving,  for  a  time, 
the  kingdom  of  Israel,  which  suffered  so  much  by  having  a  Phoeni- 
cian queen,  let  us  now  return  to  Tyre,  whose  further  history  de- 
mands our  attention. 


DIDO. 

Ithobal,    the   father   of  Jezebel,  died  soon  after   her  marriage 
with  Ahab.  Tyre,  and  all  Phoenicia,  was  the  theatre  of  intrigue 


[64] 


and  commotion,  set  on  foot  by  Jezebel,  who  was  ever  sowing  dis- 
cord among  her  own  kindred.  In  the  reign  of  PjTgmalion  events 
transpired  which  affected  the  subsequent  history  of  the  world. 
Sichaeus  was  the  nephew  of  Jezebel  and  the  uncle  of  Pygmalion. 
He  was  high  priest  of  Hercules,  (Baal,)  whose  temple  stood  on 
the  island,  in  front  of  Tyre,  and  served  both  for  commercial  and 
religious  purposes.  Tyre,  then,  engrossed  nearly  all  the  commerce 
of  the  world.  The  king  had  a  half-sister,  much  older  than  him- 
self, whose  name  in  Phrenicia  was  Eliza,  but  by  the  Greeks  she  is 
called  Dido. 

Through  the  extent  of  commerce,  and  the  vast  amount  of  reve. 
nue  committed  to  his  care,  he  had  become  very  rich.  Pygmalion 
coveted  his  brother's  treasures.  To  accomplish  his  nefarious  pur- 
pose, he  invited  the  priest  to  leave  the  altar,  and  improve  his  health, 
by  taking  a  hunting  excursion  upon  one  of  the  spurs  of  Mount 
Lebanon.  While  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  a  wild  boar,  and  drawn 
away  from  his  attendants,  the  king  came  suddenly  upon  the  priest, 
slew  him  with  a  spear,  and  rolled  his  body  off  the  rocks;  afterward 
pretending  that  he  had  fallen  by  accident,  and  thus  been  killed. 
Still  the  treasures  could  not  easily  be  obtained. 

They  were  in  the  temple,  guarded  by  the  widow. 

Dido  grieved  for  the  fate  of  her  husband.  She  knew  the  sordid 
disposition  of  her  brother,  and  suspected  that  Sichaeus  had  fallen 
by  his  hands.  She,  however,  artfully  concealed  all  her  suspicions, 
and  prepared  to  leave  Tyre  with  all  her  treasures.  She,  therefore, 
requested  the  king  to  grant  her  a  number  of  vessels  and  men  to 
convey  her  and  her  effects  to  a  brother,  who  was  governor  of  a 
small  city  rear  Tyre,  called  Baca,  that  she  might  there  spend  her 
widowhood  in  quiet.  The  king  readily  granted  this  request,  sup- 
posing that,  by  this  means,  he  should  discover  the  treasure,  and 
before  they  landed  at  Barca  he  intended  to  seize  them.  But,  oh, 
the  cunning  of  a  shrewd  woman!  The  vessels  are  all  loaded;  the 
men  and  treasures  aboard;  the  Barcan  brother  and  his  family  are 
there.  Dido  takes  her  seat,  and  gives  command — the  sails  are 
hoisted.  Instead  of  sailing  towards  Barba,  the  fleet  put  directly 
out  to  sea,  and  bid  adieu  forever  to  their  native  shores.  The  king 
was  enraged  to  see  the  treasures  so  easily  escape  from  his  hands. 
He  proposed  to  send  another  fleet  in  pursuit,  but  the  priests  of 
Herculese,  remembering  their  late  brother  slain,  caused  the  oracles 
to  forbid  the  enterprise.  His  majesty  was,  therefore,  powerless; 


[65] 


none  would  help  him  or  go  to  sea  against  the  command  of  Hercu- 
lese.  The  fleet  of  Dido  sailed  first  to  the  island  of  Cyprus,  which 
was  a  Phoenician  colony,  where  they  obtained  an  ample  supply  of 
young  women,  so  needful  for  the  enterprise  in  hand.  From  thence 
they  struck  into  the  great  Mediterranean  sea,  and  landed  first  at 
TJtica,  on  the  north  coast  of  Africa.  Proceeding  a  few  miles  fur- 
ther, they  halted,  and  planted  a  new  colony  and  city,  calling  it 
Carthage.  From  this  enterprise  sprang  the  great  and  distinguish- 
ed nation  of  the  Carthegenians,  which  afterwards  so  manfully  con- 
tended for  empire  with  the  Romans. 

Leaving  Dido  at  Carthage,  to  figure  on  another  page  of  history, 
let  us  hasten  back  to  Tyre.  Pygmalion  was  the  last  monarch  of 
the  family  of  Ithobal  and  Jezebel.  All  Phoenicia  was  the  scene  of 
commotion,  of  treason,  and  of  assassination,  for  a  long  period. 
The  unity  of  Phoenicia  was  broken.  I  apprehend  there  were  some 
modern  nullifiers  in  those  days,  for  we  soon  find  the  different 
States  arrayed  on  sides  adverse  to  each  other.  At  length  Elul  gain- 
ed the  throne  of  Tyre,  about  the  year  756  B.  C.,  but  it  is  not  proba- 
ble that  he  reigned  over  the  whole  of  Phoenicia.  About  this  time 
Hezekiah,  king  of  Judea,  being  at  war  with  the  Philistines,  had 
gained  great  advantage  over  them.  Elul  availed  himself  of  their 
embarrassment,  and  gained  the  city  of  Gath.  The  Gittites  ap- 
plied to  Shalmaneser,  king  of  Assyria,  whose  capitol  was  Nineveh, 
for  aid.  He  accordingly  marched  a  large  army  to  their  relief.  In 
doing  so,  he  passed  through  Phoenicia,  distracting  still  more  their 
already  shattered  state.  But  peace  was  restored,  and  the  Assy- 
rians returned.  We  never  find  Phoenicia  again  firmly  knit  to- 
gether in  one  confederacy.  Sidon  and  some  other  cities  joined, 
and  made  war  upon  Tyre.  The  occasion  of  this  war  does  not 
plainly  appear.  The  most  probable  cause  was  the  superior  skill 
and  enterprise  of  the  Tyrians,  which  provoked  the  jealousy  and 
rivalship  of  their  neighbors.  Dim  stars  cannot  shine  until  brighter 
ones  set.  Such  efforts  to  hasten  the  descent  of  the  brighter,  to  give 
place  to  the  more  dim,  were  not  unusual.  Being  unable  to  com- 
pete with  their  rival,  the  confederate  forces  once  more  applied  to 
Shalmaneser,  who  again  marched  into  Phoenicia,  to  humble  the 
proud  city  of  commerce.  But  Tyre  was  found  a  match,  and  more 
than  a  match,  for  all  of  them.  The  Assyrians  attempted  to  attack 
Tyre  by  water,  but  the  Tyrian  fleet  of  only  twelve  vessels  over- 
came the  far  superior  force  of  the  Assyrians,  consisting  of  sixty 
—9 


[66] 


vessels — drove  them  from  the  sea  with  great  slaughter,  and  captur- 
ed five  hundred  rowers.  From  this  time,  the  besiegers  confined 
themselves  to  land  operations,  such  as  building  and  using  battering- 
rams,  scaling-ladders,  and  other  engines  to  break  down  the  walls. 
Shalmaneser,  after  a  time,  returned  to  Nineveh,  but  directed  the 
continuance  of  the  siege  until  proud  Tyre  should  submit  to  his 
yoke.  The  Assyrians,  by  stopping  the  aqueducts,  greatly  distress- 
ed the  Tyrians,  for  the  want  of  fresh  water.  But,  still,  under  the 
vigorous  policy  of  Elul,  the  city  was  enabled  to  sustain  and  defend 
itself  until  Shalmaneser  died,  when  the  long  siege  was  abandoned, 
without  any  definite  result,  except  to  show  the  strength  of  Tyre, 
and  to  alienate  her  forever  from  the  neighboring  cities  of  Phoeni- 
cia. Elul  proved  himself  worthy  to  reign  over  Tyre,  by  the  en- 
ergy displayed  in  sustaining  a  siege  of  five  years  against  one  of 
the  mightiest  nations  then  on  the  globe. 

But  the  end  of  old  Tyre  now  approached,  and  the  birth  of  new 
Tyre,  on  the  island,  now  drew  nigh.  It  was,  probably,  about  this 
time  the  great  prosperity  of  Tyre  existed,  which  is  so  beautifully 
described,  and  so  minutely  recapitulated,  by  the  prophet  Ezekiel. 

Elul,  after  a  reign  of  thirty-six  years,  died  about  the  year  720 
B.C. 

FALL  OP  TYRE. 

Not  long  after  this  time,  the  city  of  Nineveh  was  destroyed,  the 
Assyrian  empire  remodelled,  and  the  royal  sceptre  transferred  to 
Babylon,  which  became  the  head  of  gold  to  all  the  other  nations, 
States  and  kingdoms  of  the  world.  Nabopolasser,  father  of  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, of  Babylon,  sat  on  the  throne  of  the  empire  of  the  east, 
about  the  year  625  B.C.  Ambitious  of  power  and  glory,  yet  too  in. 
firm  himself  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  war,  he  sent  forth  his  heroic 
son  to  conquer  the  world.  Most  of  the  nations  of  western  Asia 
were  easily  subdued  by  him,  and  it  was  the  purpose  of  that  general 
to  march  directly  into  Egypt.  But  esteeming  Tyre  too  strong,  and 
too  rich  an  enemy,  to  be  left  in  the  rear,  Nebuchadnezzar  directed 
all  his  forces  to  the  task  of  reducing  the  city,  which  had  so  effectu- 
ally resisted  Shalmaneser.  All  the  rest  of  Phoenicia  joined  with 
the  Babylonian  army  against  their  rival  neighbor.  For  thirteen 
long  years  did  Nebuchadnezzar  and  his  army  labor,  and  toil,  and 
strive  to  subdue  the  city.  Every  head  was  made  bald,  and  every 
shoulder  peeled  in  carrying  stone  and  timber,  and  various  mate- 


[67] 


rials  to  construct  engines  for  battering  down  the  walls,  and  destroy- 
ing the  inhabitants.  Dreadful,  indeed,  were  the  sufferings  endur- 
ed by  the  Babylonians,  while  the  inclosed  Tyrians  were  in  com- 
parative ease.  The  engines  of  the  Babylonians  drove  portions  of 
the  wall  inward;  the  Tyrians  gathered  these  fragments  and  floated 
them  to  the  island,  and  began  to  build  a  wall  around  it,  which  was 
carried  up  with  strength  and  firmness  to  a  great  height.  They 
also  continued  to  erect  houses  on  the  island,  within  the  new  in- 
closure.  The  Babylonians  were  not  expert  at  sea,  and,  not  exactly 
comprehending  the  nature  of  these  works,  they  failed  to  prevent 
their  progress  at  this  time.  Ithobal  II.  was  king  of  Tyre,  but  pro- 
bably not  a  descendant  of  the  first  of  that  name.  He  animated  his 
people  to  resist  heroically  their  foreign  invaders,  and  their  envious 
neighbors.  At  length,  after  incredible  hardships,  Nebuchadnezzar 
was  able  to  reduce  the  strong  wall  of  the  city,  and  his  soldiers 
were  animated  with  the  hope  of  soon  entering,  and  repaying  them- 
selves with  abundance  of  plunder  for  their  long  and  painful  la- 
bors. It  was  evident  to  the  Tyrians  that  the  city  must  be  given  up 
to  the  pillage  of  a  foreign  soldiery — that  old  Tyre  must  go  to 
the  grave;  but  they  determined  that  the  soul  should  survive 
the  body.  In  the  still  and  silent  night  the  treasures  and  valu- 
able effects  of  the  city  were  all  removed  to  the  island,  and 
there  deposited  in  the  temples  of  Jupiter  and  Herculese, 
which  had  been  erected  long  time  before,  by  Hiram  the  friend 
of  Solomon.  The  next  day  a  most  desperate  and  bloody  re- 
sistance was  opposed  to  the  besiegers.  In  this  struggle  king 
Ithobal  fell,  bravely  defending  his  people  and  city.  The  day 
wore  away.  The  Babylonians,  having  gained  some  advantage,  be- 
gan to  enter  the  city,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  Tyrians,  moving 
to  the  sound  of  solemn  music,  retreated  with  their  wives  and  child- 
ren to  the  new  island-city,  entering  it  from  their  boats.  The  gates 
closed  behind  them,  and  they  were  safe  from  their  invaders.  How 
mortified  were  the  Babylonians  to  find  nothing  but  old  buildings, 
half  demolished,  to  satiate  their  rapacity!  All  their  anticipated 
treasures  were  now  more  difficult  of  access  than  when  the  siege 
began.  Nebuchadnezzar  vexed  at  this  failure,  and  loss  of  thirteen 
years  of  time,  did  not  renew  the  siege,  but  hastened  on  to  Egypt, 
where  he  took  great  spoils  to  compensate  him  for  his  late  ill  suc- 
cess. 

Thus  ended  the  city  of  Tyre,  about  the  year  580  B.  C.     Return- 
ing from  Egypt,  Nebuchadnezzar  completed  the  capture  of  Jeru- 


[68] 


salem,  and  began  to  carry  the  Jews  captive  to  Babylon.  All  Phoe- 
nicia, except  Tyre,  and  all  Canaan,  then  became  a  part  of  the  em- 
pire of  the  east,  and  ever  after  shared  in  its  destiny  until  the 
Roman  conquest.  How  terrible  the  sieges  of  war!  How  fading  the 
laurels  of  conquest!  To  this  siege  of  Old  Tyre  the  prophet  Eze- 
kiel  refers,  in  the  xxixth  chap.,  and  18th?  19th  and  20th  vs. 

NEW  TYRE. 

There  were  several  important  events  in  the  history  of  New  Tyre, 
after  the  siege  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  I  shall,  for  the  present, 
omit  all  except  the  siege  by  Alexander  the  Great,  which  resulted  in 
the  entire  ruin  of  the  city. 

Imperial  authority  passed  from  the  Babylonians  to  the  Persians 
in  the  year  538  B.C.,  and  continued  with  them  about  200  years. 
The  Greeks  and  the  Macedonians,  uniting  under  Alexander  the 
Great,  marched  over  into  Asia  Minor,  and  advanced  upon  the  north 
part  of  Phoenicia.  After  a  few  successful  battles,  all  the  west  of 
Asia,  except  Tyre,  xjnanged  its  allegiance  from  Darius,  of  Persia, 
to  the  Macedonian  conqueror.  Tyre,  also,  sent  ambassadors  to  the 
camp  of  Alexander  with  presents,  desiring  peace  and  friendship, 
but  refusing  to  acknowledge  him  as  their  master.  Alexander  sent 
them  ambassadors  to  propose  to  them  terms  of  peace.  These  the 
Tyrians,  very  unwisely,  and  contrary  to  the  laws  of  nations,  mur- 
dered, and  threw  their  bodies  from  the  walls  into  the  sea.  I  find 
no  good  apology  for  this  deed,  and  the  Tyrians,  for  so  wanton  a 
violation  of  the  usages  of  nations,  might  have  expected  the  terri- 
ble fate  which  we  are  about  to  record. 

It  was  the  design  of  Alexander  to  march  into  Egypt,  and  con- 
quer the  land  of  the  Pharaohs,  before -he  proceeded  to  Persia;  but 
he  deemed  it  contrary  to  sound  policy  to  advance,  leaving  in  the 
rear  so  powerful  an  enemy  as  Tyre,  which,  having  the  command  of 
the  sea,  might  aid  the  Persians  and  greatly  annoy  him.  Governed 
by  the  same  policy  that  guided  the  king  of  Babylon  on  a  former 
occasion,  he  determined  to  besiege  Island  Tyre,  with  the  hope  of 
better  success  than  had  attended  the  two  eastern  monarchs  in  the 
same  enterprise.  In  seven  months  he  succeeded  in  taking  and  des- 
troying the  city,  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  332  B.  C.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  Egypt  was  a  dependent  province  of  Persia,  hav- 
ing been  subjugated  by  Cambyses  and  Ochus.  This  fact  explains 
the  reason  why  Alexander,  in  a  war  with  Persia,  also  included 
Egypt  among  his  enemies.  It  is  remarkable  that  Tyre  received  no 


[69] 


assistance  from  either  Persia  or  Egypt,  since  the  war  was  on  their 
account,  and  only  indirectly  in  reference  to  Tyre. 

Thus  far  I  have  related  the  history  of  Phoenicia,  and  of  Tyre,  in 
my  own  language.  I  shall,  perhaps,  be  excused  if  I  give  the  siege 
of  Tyre  chiefly  in  the  language  of  another,  and  quote  largely  from 
Hebbe,  with  remarks  of  my  own . 

SIEGE  OP  THE  ISLAND  CITY  OF  TYRE. 

"The  island  city  of  Tyre,  situated  half  a  mile  from  the  main 
land,  was  surrounded  by  a  strong  wall,  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high.  It  was  stored  with  an  abundance  of  provisions,  and  armed 
with  every  species  of  warlike  preparation.  The  Tyrians  were, 
besides,  furnished  with  a  considerable  fleet,  while  Alexander  had 
none  at  all.  The  difficulties  with  which  the  Macedonian  hero  had 
to  contend  in  this  enterprise,  were,  consequently,  very  great,  and 
would  have  induced  many  other  great  generals  to  desist  from  an 
undertaking  apparently  so  hopeless;  but  Alexander  was  too  confi- 
dent of  his  ability,  and  possessed  too  resolute  a  pride  to  abandon 
an  enterprise  he  had 'once  resolved  on.  Under  these  circumstances 
the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  join  the  main  land  to  the  island  by  a 
mole,  or  artificial  isthmus.  For  this  purpose  he  caused  the  sea  to 
be  sounded,  and  found  the  greatest  depth  to  be  three  fathoms.  This 
inspired  him  with  confidence  of  success;  and  he  became  still  more 
confident,  when  informed  that  the  bottom  was  a  stiff  clay,  which 
served  instead  of  mortar,  and  held  whatever  was  sunk  into  it  more 
firm  than  could  have  been  effected  by  art.  The  ruins  of  old  -Tyre 
furnished  materials  for  the  proposed  work,  which  was  begun,  and, 
under  the  inspection  of  the  king  himself,  executed  with  such  aston- 
ing  rapidity,  that  it  soon  rose  over  the  surface  of  the  water,  and 
approached  the  city.  At  first  the  Tyrians  had  looked  upon  this 
undertaking  as  a  rash  and  desperate  attempt,  which  could  never  be 
crowned  with  success,  and  therefore,  as  we  are -told,  had  scornfully 
cried  out  from  their  ships  to  the  king,  asking  him  whether  he  con- 
sidered himself  greater  than  Neptune.  But,  on  seeing  the  rapid 
progress  of  the  work,  they  changed  their  minds,  and  feared  it 
would  succeed.  Therefore  from  the  walls  of  the  city  they  not  only 
began  to  assail  the  workmen  with  all  sorts  of  missive  weapons,  but 
also  sent  armed  vessels  on  each  side  of  the  mole  to  harrass  them. 
To  cover  the  workmen  from  the  enemy's  arrows,  Alexander  caused 
too  large  wooden  towers  to  be  raised,  and  covered  them  with  raw 


[70] 


hides,  to  prevent  their  being  set  on  fire.  The  Tyrians  resolved  to 
attempt  the  destruction  of  these  towers,  and,  for  that  purpose,  con- 
trived a  fire-ship,  whose  yards,  instead  of  sails,  were  hung  with 
rows  of  baskets,  filled  with  sulphurious  matter,  and  whose  hulk 
was  partly  filled  with  dry  twigs,  over  which  was  strewed  all  sorts 
of  combustible  matter.  As  soon  as  they  had  made  this  ready,  and 
had  got  a  favorable  wind,  they  towed  the  hulk  to  the  sea,  and  ran 
her  upon  the  mole,  directly  between  the  towers,  and  then  set  it  on 
fire.  When  the  masts  began  to  burn,  the  weight  with  which  their 
yards  were  charged  caused  them  to  break,  plunging  all  the  baskets 
full  in  the  fire,  and  greatly  increased  its  fury,  so  that  not  only  the 
towers,  but  all  the  materials  that  were  on  the  mole,  were  totally 
consumed. 

This  loss  is  said  to  have  greatly  perplexed  Alexander,  and  it  is 
also  intimated  that  he  began  to  regret  that  he  had  undertaken  the 
reduction  of  Tyre,  and  that  he  would  have  sent  ambassadors  to  the 
Tyrians  with  new  terms  of  peace,  but  that  he  suspected  they  would 
not  hearken  to  any  proposals  whatever,  and  would  treat  his  envoys 
as  inhumanly  as  they  had  those  whom  he  had  sent  before  the  siege 
to  summon  them  to  surrender,  and  whom  they  had  thrown  head- 
long into  the  sea.  He,  however,  resumed  the  work  with  seeming 
cheerfulness,  caused  the  foundation  of  a  new  mole,  broader  than 
the  former,  to  be  laid,  and  consequently  capable  of  holding  more 
towers,  ordered  new  engines  to  be  made,  and  took  measures  for 
procuring  a  fleet,  without  which  he  saw  clearly  that  he  should  be 
unable  to  accomplish  his  purpose.* 

Gerostratus,  the  father  of  Strato,  and  king  of  Arad,  and  Enylus, 
king  of  Byblus,  together  with  most  of  the  Cyprian  princes,  and 
also  the  Sidonion  squadron,  in  all  a  hundred  and  twenty  sail,  ar- 
rived at  Sidon  and  offered  him  their  services.  As  at  the  same  time 
about  eighty  sail  arrived  from  Greece,  Alexander  had  under  his 
command  a  fleet  of  about  two  hundred  vessels,  of  which  a  part 
remained  under  his  immediate  orders,  and  the  remainder  subjected 
to  those  of  Andromachus,  the  Cyprian. 


*The  city  and  island  of  Tyre  were  directly  west  of  Old  Tyre  on 
the  continent.  The  arm  of  the  sea  where  the  mole  was  built,  must 
have  been  on  the  south  of  the  city,  and  the  mole  connected  it  to  a 
projecting  point  of  the  main  land,  while  the  Sidon  arm  of  the  bay 
was  on  the  north  side  of  the  city. 


[71] 

When  the  mole  was  brought  almost  to  the  city,  ponderous  engines 
were  put  to  work  to  batter  down  its  wall,  while  the  archers  and 
slingers  incessantly  harrassed  those  who  defended  it,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  driving  them  from  their  posts.  But  the  Tyrians  became 
not  disheartened.  By  means  of  a  new  contrivance  of  wheels  with 
many  spokes,  which  being  whirled  about  with  an  engine,  they  shat- 
tered in  pieces  the  enemy's  darts  and  arrows,  and  thus  covered 
themselves  against  their  aggressors — a  great  many  of  whom  they 
killed,  without  suffering  any  considerable  loss  on  their  side.  Mean- 
while, however,  the  wall  began  to  yield  to  the  violence  of  the  rams, 
that  battered  it  night  and  day  without  interruption.  Whereupon 
the  besieged,  setting  all  hands  to  work,  raised,  in  a  very  short 
time,  a  new  wall,  ten  cubits  broad,  and  five  cubits  distant  from  the 
former;  and  also  filled  up  the  empty  space  between  the  two  walls 
with  earth  and  stones.  By  this  means,  they  kept  the  Macedonians 
for  a  long  while  employed,  ere  they  could,  with,  all  their  engines, 
make  the  least  impression  on  this  new  piece  of  fortification. 

The  Tyrians,  meanwhile,  made  an  attack  on  the  Cyprian  squad- 
ron, in  the  following  manner:  One  part  of  Alexander's  fleet  was 
posted  at  the  mouth  of  the  haven  which  fronts  the  Sidonian  shore, 
and  across  which  the  Tyrians  are  said  to  have  spread  sails,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  enemy  from  seeing  that  they  manned  their  own  ves- 
sels. One  day,  about  noon,  five  chosen  quinqueremes,  as  many 
quadriemes,  and  seven  triremes,  inured  to  the  sea,  slowly  and  noise- 
lessly rowed  out  of  the  harbor,  one  by  one,  against  the  Cyprian 
vessels.  But,  when  advanced  within  sight  of  the  enemy,  they  raised 
a  loud  shout,  and  splashed  with  the  oars,  in  encouragement  of  each 
other,  and  then  hastened  boldly  to  attack  the  Cyprian  fleet;  whichj 
when  taken  by  surprise,  and  in  part  quite  destitute  of  defenders, 
suffered  a  great  loss.  Alexander,  in  the  meantime,  hearing  of  this 
sudden  attack  of  the  Tyrians,  immediately  ordered  as  many  ships 
as  he  could  spare,  and  as  were  well  armed,  to  block  up  the  mouth 
of  the  other  haven,  and  prevent  the  rest  of  the  Tyrian  fleet  from 
issuing  forth;  he  then  hastened  himself  with  the  quinqueremes  he 
had  at  hand,  and  five  triremes,  to  sail  to  the  other  side  of  the  island, 
and  attack  the  victorious  vessels  of  the  Tyrians.  The  besieged, 
seeing  this  from  the  wall,  and  perceiving  Alexander  himself  there, 
endeavored,  by  loud  cries,  to  recall  the  vessels  that  had  overcame 
the  Cyprians.  Finding  their  cries  were  not  heard,  they  made  several 
signals  for  their  countrymen  to  return,  who,  when  they  understood 


[72] 


that  Alexander  was  approaching  them,  turned  their  sails,  and  hast- 
ened towards  the  haven;  but,  as  they  perceived  the  signal  too  late, 
few  were  able  to  save  themselves  by  flight,  for  Alexander's  ships 
falling  in  suddenly  among  them,  rendered  some  unfit  for  sailing, 
and  captured  two  of  the  Tyrians  vessels  at  the  very  entrance  of 
the  port.  The  Tyrians,  however,  lost  not  ^many  men,  because,  as 
soon  as  they  perceived  that  it  was  impossible  to  save  the  ships, 
they  saved  themselves  by  swimming. 

"Alexander,  after  this  victory,  caused  some  of  his  ships  to  be 
joined  together,  and  a  vast  number  of  battering  rams  to  be  mount- 
ed on  them,  in  addition  to  those  he  had  already  placed  on  the  mole. 
After  having  failed  in  several  attempts  on  some  parts  of  the 
wall,  the  ships  were  moored  along  its  whole  southern  side,  look- 
ing towards  Egypt;  and  the  effect  of  the  battering  rams  tried 
the  whole  distance.  At  length  the  wall  was*  shaken,  and  after- 
wards a  breach,  a  hundred  feet  wide,  was  made.  The  Mace- 
donians took  instant  advantage  of  this  opportunity,  and,  by  the 
help  of  their  ladders  attempted  to  mount  the  breach  and  take  the 
city  by  storm;  but  though  encouraged  by  the  presence  of  Alex- 
ander himself,  they  were  forced  by  the  Tyrians  to  give  way,  and 
retire  to  their  ships  with  great  loss.  Alexander  intended  to  renew 
the  attack  the  next  morning;  but  the  breach  having  been  re- 
paired during  the  night,  he  found  his  object  no  further  advanced 
than  when  he  first  undertook  to  batter  the  walls. 

Meanwhile,  Alexander  had  caused  several  towers  to  be  built 
upon  the  mole,  and  raised  to  an  equal  heighth  with  the  battle- 
ments. These  towers  he  had  filled  with  the  most  courageous  men 
of  his  army,  whom  he  had  directed  to  form  a  bridge,  with  large 
planks,  resting  one  end  on  the  towers,  and  the  other  on  the  top  of 
the  ramparts.  He  then  ordered  them  to  endeavor,  sword  in  hand, 
to  gain  the  wall;  but  this  attempt  had  also  failed,  as  the  assailants 
had  been  opposed  by  the  Tyrians  with  the  greatest  bravery,  and 
with  weapons  with  which  the  Macedonians  were  altogether  unac- 
quainted. But  what  most  of  all  disheartened  the  assailants,  and 
forced  them  to  desist  from  the  attack,  was  a  scorching  sand  which 
the  Tyrians,  by  a  new  contrivance,  showered  upon  them.  For  this 
sand,  which  was  thrown  in  red-hot  shields  of  iron  or  brass,  getting 
within  their  breast  plates  and  coats  of  mail,  caused  them  such 
dreadful  tortures,  that  many,  in  despair,  threw  themselves  into  the 
sea;  others  dying  in,  the  most  excruciating  agony,  with  their 


[73} 


lamentations,  struck  the  greatest  dismay  into  all  who  heard  them. 
This  occasioned  the  greatest  confusion  among  the  assailing  Mace- 
donians, and  inspired  new  hope  in  the  Tyrians,  who  no  longer  kept 
themselves  on  the  defensive,  but  began  to  act  the  part  of  aggres- 
sors, by  leaving  the  walls  and  charging  the  enemy  hand  to  hand, 
on  his  own  bridges,  with  such  resolution,  that  Alexander,  seeing 
his  soldiers  give  way,  thought  it  prudent  to  sound  a  retreat,  and 
by  that  means  assume  at  least  the  appearance  of  having  voluntar- 
ily desisted  from  the  attack. 

Such  attempts  had  several  times  been  repeated,  but  always  with 
the  same  issue.  This  had  the  effect  to  make  all  the  Macedonian 
generals  present,  except  Amyntas,  desirous  to  abandon  this  haz- 
ardous enterprise. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  bring  this  long  protracted  siege  to  a  close, 
Alexander  seized  the  first  opportunity  to  storm  the  city  by  a  gen- 
eral assault,  which  was  presented  three  days  after  the  check  the 
Macedonians  had  received  at  the  storming  of  the  breach,  when  the 
sea  had  become  quite  calm.  Agreeably  to  this  resolution,  the  king 
hastened  his  preparations.  First  he  ordered  a  line  of  hulks,  on 
which  his  battering  engines  were  placed,  to  be  towed  as  close  as 
possible  to  the  wall,  and  there  brought  to  anchor ;  the  engines  were 
immediately  made  to  play  upon  the  walls,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
a  very  considerable  breach  was  affected ,  Then  he  caused  these 
hulks  to  weigh  anchor,  and  to  be  towed  off,  and  other  ships,  hav- 
ing scaling  ladders  on  board,  to  replace  them.  Orders  were 
given  to  a  detachment  of  light-armed  troops,  under  the  command 
of  Admetus  to  attack  the  city  on  one  side,  and  to  another  corps  of 
auxilliary  foot,  headed  by  Coenus,  to  assail  it  on  the  other  at  the 
same  time;  while  Alexander  at  the  head  of  the  main  force,  held 
himself  ready  to  sustain  both  assailing  parties.  For  the  purpose 
of  dividing  the  attention  of  the  Tyrians,  and  to  lessen  the  vigor 
of  their  defence,  he  also  ordered  a  squadron  of  armed  vessels  to 
sail  continually  around  the  city,  and  threaten  first  one  point,  and 
then  another,  and,  if  opportunity  should  present  itself,  actually  to 
make  an  attack.  This  stratagem  answered  his  purpose,  because  the 
Tyrians  became  much  distracted,  and  divided  their  forces,  not  know- 
ing where  to  concentrate  their  greatest  strength.  Still  they  defend- 
ed themselves  very  valiantly  against  Admetus  and  his  Macedonians, 
who  first  mounted  the  walls.  This  heroic  officer  was  killed  by  a  spear 
almost  as  soon  as  he  had  set  his  foot  on  the  wall;  but  the  king  himseli 
—10 


[74] 


hastened  with  fresh  troops  to  the  aid  of  those  who  had  first  reached 
the.,  heights,  quickly  drove  back  the  Tyrians,  and  pursued  them 
with  great  slaughter  to  the  royal  palace.  Meanwhile  the  king's 
fleet  broke  into  one  of  the  havens,  and  began  to  sink  and  burn  the 
ships  that  were  there;  and  the  Cyprians  also,  on  the  other  side, 
soon  forced  their  way  into  that  haven  which  they  had  hitherto 
blockaded,  and  encouraged  by  the  success  of  the  Macedonians, 
attacked  and  entered  the  city  from  that  side. 


THE    FALL    OF   JEEUSALEM. 

Jehoaikim,  whom  Pharaoh  Necho  had  elevated,  was  permitted 
to  remain  on  the  throne  of  Judah,  as  a  dependent  upon  Babylon, 
but  in  GOG  B.C.  he  rebelled.  Nebuchadnezzar  marched  again  to  Jeru- 
salem, captured  a  great  number  of  the  people,  among  others  Daniel, 
the  prophet,  and  part  of  the  holy  vessels  of  the  temple,  which  he 
sent  to  Babylon.  Hearing  of  his  father's  death,  he  hastened  home, 
received  the  crown,  and  returned  again  to  continue  the  war  in  the 
west.  He  permitted  Jehoaikim  to  remain  on  the  throne  a  few 
years  longer.  Thus  the  first  captivity  commenced,  606  B.  C. 

Finding  Jehoaikim  treacherous,  Nebuchadnezzar,  in  598  B.  C., 
again  marched  against  him,  aided  by  bands  of  Syrians,  Moabites 
and  Amonites.  Jehoaikim  was  taken  captive,  and  carried  iji 
ters  to  Babylon,  where  he  soon  after  died.  At  this  time,  also,  a 
large  number  of  the  people,  and  a  portion  of  the  holy  vessels,  were 
sent  to  Babylon.  Jehoaikim,  a  lad  of  eighteen  years,  and  son  of 
the  preceding  king,  was  placed  on  the  throne,  but  in  the  end  of  the 
year,  or  beginning  of  598,  he  was  also  carried  captive  to  Babylon, 
with  all  his  family,  and  a  multitude  of  his  people.  A  part  of  the 
remaining  holy  vessels  of  the  temple  were  taken  at  this  time.  A 
few  of  the  people  were  left,  over  whom  Nebuchadnezzar  placed 
Zedekiah,  the  uncle  of  the  last  king,  who  reigned  eleven  years,  if 
so  dependant  a  relation  can  be  called  reigning.  In  the  ninth  year 
of  his  reign,  that  is  in  the  year  589  or  590,  Zedekiah  rebelled 


[75] 


against  Babylon,  and  once  more  attempted  to  raise  Judea  into  an 
independent  kingdom.  Enraged  at  the  treachery  of  all  the  kings 
of  Judah,  and  the  stubborness  of  the  people,  Nebuchadnezzar 
again  besieged  Jerusalem,  and  determined  to  finish  the  work. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  in  the  ninth  year  of  his  reign,  in  the  tenth 
month,  in  the  tenth  day  of  the  month,  that  Nebuchadnezzar,  king 
of  Babylon,  came,  he  and  all  his  hosts,  against  Jerusalem,  and 
pitched  against  it,  and  built  forts  round  about  it.  And  the  city 
was  besieged  until  the  eleventh  year  of  Zedekiah." 

Now  Jerusalem,  the  time  of  thy  judgment  is  come.  Thy  cup  of 
iniquity  is  full.  It  overfloweth.  Thy  rebellion  toward  thy  God, 
and  thy  cruelty  toward  man,  with  the  crimes  of  many  generations, 
call  loudly  for  vengence!  Hear  thy  destiny! 

The  seventh  invasion  is  come.  The  seventh  plague  is  upon  thee. 
The  seventh  seal  is  about  to  be  broken,  and  the  seventh  trumpet 
to  sound  forth  thy  sentence:  thou  that  stonest  the  prophets,  and 
killest  them  that  were  sent  unto  thee.  , 

Stare,  ye  fathers!  Wonder,  ye  mothers!  Wail,  ye  daughters, 
for  there  is  no  bread!  Thy  fruitful  plains,  now  trampled  by  a  for- 
eign soldiery,  no  longer  send  up  the  husbandman,  with  his  beast- 
of-burden,  laden  with  corn  and  wine  and  fruit,  to  supply  thy  mar- 
kets. Thy  gates  are  closely  watched.  Gaunt  famine  stalks  through 
the  city  of  Salem,  once  the  city  of  Peace.  Thine  enemy  have 
turned  away  the  streams  of  sweetly  flowing  water,  which  the  wise 
son  of  David  conducted  of  yore  into  thy  pools  and  cisterns.  Bag- 
ing  thirst  is  added  to  gnawing  hunger.  The  people  pine  and  die. 
Where  are  thy  brave  men?  Thy  warriors  bold,  who  often  have  tram- 
pled o'er  the  foe?  Ha!  I  see  them,  few  in  number,  and  coward- 
like,  issuing  through  a  narrow  gate,  at  the  king's  garden,  and  be- 
tween two  walls.  Stealthily  they  pick  their  way  out  of  the  city, 
while  the  shadows  of  the  night  conceal  them. 

Here  comes  king  Zedekiah  himself.  The  fugitives  have  aban- 
doned the  city,  men,  women  and  children  to  their  fate,  and  make 
their  way  over  the  hills;  they  descend  into  the  plains  of  Jericho. 
Swift  is  the  flight,  and  swift  is  the  pursuit.  An  army  of  the  Chal- 
deans overtake  the  king,  secreted  and  alone,  his  attendants  being 
scattered  away  from  him. 

Zedekiah,  his  family,  his  nobles,  and  many  of  his  people,  are 
captives  and  in  chains.  The  whole  party  move  quietly  to  Eiblah,  in 
the  land  of  Hammoth.  Here  Nebuchadnezzar  sits  in  solemn 


[76] 


judgment  upon  his  captives.  Ketire,  ye  tender  sensibilities.  Ye 
have  no  place  in  such  a  court  as  this.  Let  none  but  our  blunter  feel- 
ings attend  the  trial.  The  sons  of  Zedekiah  are  slain  before  his 
eyes.  The  king  casts  his  last  lingering  look  upon  the  dying  agon- 
ies of  his  children,  and  then,  by  order  of  the  conqueror,  his  own 
eyes  are  rendered  sightless  forever.  Dark  night  has  set  in,  ta 
which  there  shall  be  no  morrow. 

Judah  is  subverted,  and  Jerusalem  is  dead.  Let  us  away  to  the 
funeral.  One  month  after  this  terrible  tragedy,  "  STebuzaradan, 
Captain  of  the  Guard,  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  burned  both  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  and  the  king's  house,  and  the  houses  of  Jerusa- 
lem, and  every  great  house  burned  he  with  fire.  And  all  the  army 
of  the  Chaldeans,  that  were  with  the  Captain  of  the  Guard,  break 
down  the  walls  of  Jerusalem  round  about."  Part  of  the  poor  of 
the  people  were  left  to  till  the  land.  A  part  voluntarily  went  over 
to  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  remnant  were  taken  captive,  with  a 
vast  amount  of  treasure,  of  gold  and  silver,  money,  and  precious 
vessels  and  ornaments.  All  these  were  carried  to  Kiblah,  where 
another  court  is  held.  Among  the  newly  arrived  captives  were 
found  sixty-six  men,  who  had  held  office  under  Zedekiah.  These 
were  slain.  The  remnant,  with  the  king,  in  fetters  of  brass/  were 
sent  to  Babylon,  from  whence  few  will  ever  return. 


FALL    OF    JERUSALEM. 

Fallen  is  thy  throne,  O,  Israel!     Silence  is  o'er  thy  plains; 
Thy  dwellings  are  all  desolate — thy  children  weep  in  chains. 
Where  are  the  dues  that  fed  thee  on  Etham's  barren  shore? 
Those  fires  from  heaven  that  led  thee,  now  light  thy  path  no  more. 

Lord  thou  did'st  love  Jerusalem — once  she  was  all  thine  own: 
Her  love  thy  fairer  heritage — her  power  thy  glory's  throne. 
'Till  evening  came,  and  blighted  thy  long  loved  Olive  tree, 
And  Salenvs  shrine  was  lighted  for  other  Gods  than  thee. 

Then  sunk  the  star  of  Selymo — then  pass'd  her  glory's  ray: 
Like  heath  that  in  the  wilderness  the  wild  wind  trails  away. 
Silent  and  waste  her  bowers,  where  once  the  mighty  trod; 
And  sunk  those  guilded  towers  where  Baal  reigned  as  God. 

Gol  saith  the  Lord:    Ye  conquerors,  steep  in  her  blood  your  swords; 
And  raze  to  earth  her  battlements,  for  they  are  not  the  Lord's. 
'Till  Zion's  mournful  daughters  o'er  her  dead  bones  shall  bend: 
And  Hinneu's  vale  of  slaughter  shall  hide  but  half  her  dead. 


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